Escaping Wonderland
by OnciePunzie
Summary: Oncie left home to keep a promise, but that promise has now left him trapped in another world known as Wonderland. Ruled by a crazy Queen called, The Queen of Hearts. She refuses to ever release Oncie from Wonderland, and even if she did what does he have left in the real world? Little do they know it's all about to change because of a young lady named, Rapunzel.
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue_**

 ** _A few weeks earlier..._**

 _The Queen's screams echoed throughout the castle. Puss's green eyes narrowed. He ran down a castle corridor that led to the throne room._

 _"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" The blood curdling scream reverberated off the stone walls sending chills throughout to all who heard._

 _Puss entered the large open room and accessed the scene before him._

 _The Queen of Hearts was on her feet pointing her finger at the Hatter, who was on the floor pleading for his life._

 _"Your Majesty, I beg your pardon! I-It won't happen again. I beg your mercy!"_

 _"ENOUGH!" She turned towards the guards. "KILL HIM! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" She turned and walked back to her throne. As she sat, she yelled his name. "PUSS! PUSS!"_

 _He appeared next to her throne, quick as a flash. "Your Majesty?" He bowed._

 _She turned to him, her eyes blazing, but her voice, suddenly, deadly calm. "I've had it with this Hatter. I want his head!" She watched as the guards picked up the pleading figure and began dragging him out of her courtroom. "See that my order is carried out._ _ **Understand**_ _, Puss!"_

 _"Si, Your Majesty. I understand." He took off his feathered hat with an elaborate flourish, and flashed his charismatic smile. "I will oversee the act myself."_

 _Her mouth curved in a strange sadistic smile, and she nodded him leave. Puss backed away, and left quickly._

 _Off with the Hatter's head. The Queen had spoken._

 **Chapter 1**

Oncie stared out the huge picture window in his office. He could see the woods, with their mind-boggling creatures, many twisting paths, and strange colors. His eyes roamed past the woods to the castle on the other side. Involuntary shivers went up his spine. " _I thought home was the worst life could get for me…and now…_ " He shook his head, trying to stop the thoughts. "No. You promised you'd get of there, and you did." Voices from his childhood rang in his mind.

" _You're not like them, Oncie. When you git the chance you take it. Promise me you'll leave. Promise me that you'll git outta here."_

 _"I promise, Grandpa."_

He'd kept his promise but was it worth it? Oncie let the question hang in his mind for a few seconds. He remembered the ridicule, neglect, and workload that'd always been put upon him as a boy.

Yes. It was worth it. For the few precious weeks of freedom he'd had before being trapped in Wonderland.

He inhaled slowly. That notion didn't make life easier, in fact it made him feel more melancholy, but he turned and grabbed his guitar- his red electric guitar, not his old black & white guitar.

"Come on, Oncie. Live with it, you're stuck here…at least try to make the best of it." He mumbled to himself. He plucked at the strings of his guitar, and decided to go out and practice in the woods. He still had time before he was needed in court, time to be himself, and to not be the Mad Hatter.

 ** _Three Weeks Earlier…_**

It was time to go. Oncie stood on the porch of his house. His grandpa's old wagon stood in the front yard, fully loaded with a bed, food, pots & pans, and a few changes of clothes. He didn't have much to take really and figured he'd buy things he needed on the way.

"Oncie!" His mother stuck her head out the front door. "Are you _still_ plannin' on leavin'?" She glanced at his wagon and turned her nose up in disdain.

"Yes, mom. I'm really doin' it. I'm leaving." He added the last "I'm leaving" as much for himself as his mom.

"Well, alright. I'll call the children," she said in exasperation. She slammed the door shut, and Oncie heard her yell at the top of her lungs. "Chillldrrrunn! Come on down here. Your brother's leavin'!"

He felt his heart race for a few seconds, waiting for their response, but all hope was squashed at the annoyed groanings and replies he heard back.

"Awww, you know he's gonna come back."

"Yeah, he won't get very far. Prob'ly won't make it to the fence."

"Oh, I dunno, I'll give him about lunch time."

Oncie, tuned them out. The sting of their words hitting hard, it never got any easier. He glanced to his right and saw the old white porch swing gently swaying. The corners of his mouth lifted a little. At least he had some good memories… He walked over and gently sat down. Time to say his last goodbye.

Memories of his grandpa sitting in the porch swing came flooding back. Grandpa, the only soul who'd ever been kind to him growing up.

 _"You did good, Oncie. Don't let them tell ya otherwise."… "Oh, don't let them git you down. Chin up, I'm sure you'll show the lot of them in due time."_ How many times had his grandpa encouraged him throughout the years? But it was one particular moment that Oncie wanted to think of right now, a moment about a promise.

Oncie had been sitting on the porch floor listening to one of his grandpa's stories of his younger years of peddling on the road. During the story Oncie's mom came out and threw a huge fit about somethin' or other, Oncie couldn't remember the details…but he did remember the look of pain in his grandfather's eyes as she walked away. Tears brimmed in the old man's eyes. "I don't know where I went wrong with her… what did I ever do…?" Turning to face Oncie, he'd looked his grandson right in the eyes with such a deep passion that Oncie had never forgotten it.

"Oncie, you promise me, _you promise me_ , that someday, somehow, you'll leave this place."

Oncie had stared back at his grandpa, a little confused and slightly scared. "Leave?"

He grandpa didn't waver. "That's right. You leave. You're not like them, boy." His grandpa gestured to the house and the fields. "You're not like the rest of your family, and that's…that's a good thing." He paused. "Someday, when you're older, you're gonna git a chance to leave. You take it. Don't hesitate a moment, because if you stay here, you'll never get out. You'll be trapped here and be forced into something you're not. You understand boy?"

Oncie hadn't understood completely at the time, but something inside knew there was truth to what his grandpa said. A truth that went beyond what he could comprehend. He nodded. "Yes, Grandpa."

His grandpa eyed him a moment, and looked about to let the subject drop, then started mumbling something to himself. "Aw…well..yeah, yep, you'd better." He leaned in closer to Oncie, his mustache almost touching Oncie's nose.

"Promise me, Oncie. Promise me you'll leave here. Promise me you'll leave when you git the chance." His grandpa's somber tone and searching eyes hit Oncie to the core. So hard he almost felt as if he were searching himself. He _was_ searching himself. He was searching himself for an honest answer, because in this moment he didn't want to say anything to his grandpa that he'd regret, and he didn't want to say something that he wouldn't follow through on.

Finally, after a long pause and deep soul searching thinking, he met his grandpa's strong gaze with a look and words just as strong. "I will, Grandpa, I promise. I _promise._ "

"I promise, Grandpa. I promise." Oncie repeated those words he'd said ten years ago as a ten year old boy. He looked at the spot next to him on the swing. The spot his Grandpa used to sit. "I said, I would Grandpa, and now…now I have the chance. I'm taking it, Grandpa. I'm really doing it." Emotions began to rise up in Oncie's chest. How he wished his Grandpa could be here to see it, maybe even leave with him.

Oncie straightened up quickly as his Mom and siblings noisily came hurtling from the house.

"There he is."

"See I told y' he weren't goin'."

His eleven siblings spilled onto the porch, hanging from the eaves, jumping off the steps, or sitting on the rail, but all of them stared. Waiting for him to make his exit.

Oncie grabbed all that was left of his courage, stood, and forced out a grin. "Yep, here I go." Even though he towered a few heads above the rest of them at six foot four inches, he still felt small in their presence. He slapped his thighs and started heading to his wagon, rambling things that he wasn't quite sure of. "I-I'll be sure to write! And well, I'll let you know where- well I guess, I really can't but umm, I hope to hear from…" He about fell off the porch as one of the twins slapped him really hard on the back.

"Don't worry, Oncie. We know you'll be back in a bit."

His sister, Sal, rolled her eyes. "He _says_ he's leavin' for good." The sarcastic tone proved she thought otherwise. She hopped off the porch railing and made her way over to Oncie. "See ya, bro. We'll miss ya around here." She punched him hard in the arm then leaned up against the porch post smirking.

Oncie held his arm and forced a smile through the grimace. "Thanks Sal, you too." He was hoping she was sincere in her good bye, but he had his doubts. He picked up his last few belongings from the porch steps and started to make his way to the wagon.

"Bye, everyone! I-I'll miss you…" His farewell was greeted with blank stares and some muffled giggles. He made a half-hearted wave then turned to face his wagon. He stared at it and the daunting task ahead of him, then he remembered his grandfather's voice and the promise he'd made. Oncie took a quick breath, adjusted his fedora firmly in place, and then hopped up into the wagon seat.

He made one last firm wave to his family, then clicked the reins. He was off, finally leaving, finally keeping his promise.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:** Wow! I'm so excited to have finally posted this chapter. It's taken a leap of faith, a bit of courage, and much prayer to post this story. I want to give a shout out and a huge thank you to A.J. Rhys/Constance Finnigan for pushing me to tell this story, through writing, my YT videos, and in acting it out at times. Thank you so much, Lachina! Thank you also for the editing help.  
_

 _Okay, very quickly, I want to clarify one thing. This story is not canon in hardly anyway. The only thing that remains the same are the characters' looks and little bits and pieces of their past or personalities._

 _Oh, it's going to take everything in me not to rush the next chapters, but I'll try to do my best. :)_

 _I'll appreciate any reviews I receive, and can't wait to post the next chapter. Thank you so much for reading!_

 _Love,_

 _OnciePunzie (Violet)_

 _And one last thing... to quote and follow the example of my favorite author...  
And to God Almighty, the Author of Life who -has for now- blessed me with these._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

No luck. Rapunzel had been searching for Jeffory since lunch time, and she still hadn't found him. She glanced up at the hazy sky. The sun was setting and she'd been in the woods for hours.

" _I can't leave yet. Not without Jeffory."_ She let out a determined breath and then began to call out his name. "Jeffory! JEFFORY! Please come out! It'll be dark soon, and we can't stay in the woods past dark." She paused waiting for the child's reply. Nothing. "Oh, Please Jeffory! The other children are sorry for what they said. They miss you, and want you back home!"

Finally, after a few more minutes of searching she stopped and rested against a tree. The forest was now almost completely dark. "Oh, Lord, Please help me…" she let the prayer hang in the air for a few moments. Hoping beyond hope that Jeffory would miraculously come out of nowhere and they could head home together safely. Her mind began running through all of the tales she'd heard of the Enchanted forest.

 _"When people go in they never come out…at least never after nightfall."_

 _"Oh, I know of a few who made it out, but they all talked crazy. Something about a mad white rabbit, and a crazy queen who wants hearts or somthin'…"_

 _"Don't go into the forest, especially at night."_

 _"Stay away from the forest."_

Rapunzel couldn't help but smile slightly at the irony; here she was, in the forest…at night. She let out a moaned chuckle.

"Okay, Rapunzel, you'll be fine… you just need to… stay awake…and…not fall asleep." She got up and kept moving. As long as she stayed awake, she'd be fine. She just needed to find Jeffory and get him out of here. Out of the woods.

 **A few hours later…**

"Oh me! Oh my! Oh ME OH MY!"

Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes. Trying to focus on the voice she heard over her.

"O-o-o-oh! She lives!"

Rapunzel saw a flash of white move behind some bushes. She sat up quickly. "Where am I?" She picked herself off the ground and did a quick full turn. "The Trees! They're different colors!" Rapunzel stared in shock at the huge trees.

The tree trunks were bright pinks, purples, greens, and red. Some were oddly shaped and fluffy on top, others were rough and squat with blue leaves.

"Y-you'd best go back where you came from!"

Rapunzel spun around in the direction of the voice. She saw what looked like white rabbit ears peeking above some foliage. "I don't know where I am."

"Oh me! Oh my! No, no, no! This isn't good, t'isn't good at all!" A fat little white rabbit with a waist coat and spectacles jumped up from behind the bush. "Y-y-you can't stay here! Suppose the Queen…AAAAHH! The Queen!" The rabbit nervously dove behind the bush again, and barely poked its nose out to whisper. "Suppose the Queen found you here!"

Rapunzel stared, confused, but felt a little sorry for the poor white rabbit…or whatever it was. She took another look at her surroundings then slowly approached the bush. "What is this place called?" she asked.

"Shhhhh, not so loud!" The rabbit warned. "We don't want them to know you're here." The rabbit slowly came out from behind the bush, looking every which way and hopping nervously every few seconds.

"Don't want who to know?" Rapunzel asked in a hushed tone, leaning closer.

"The Queen, me girl! The QUEEN!" The rabbit began to pace back and forth, mumbling to himself.

Rapunzel stood for a moment thoughts flooding her head. _"Oh, I know of a few who made it out, but they all talked crazy. Something about a mad white rabbit, and a crazy queen who wants hearts or somthin'…"_

"I fell asleep," Rapunzel said, stunned.

The rabbit stopped his pacing and looked over his spectacles at her. "You're darn-tootin' right you fell asleep! And now I ask you! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?"

Rapunzel wrinkled her nose and frowned. "I don't know." She said, slightly flustered by the distressed rabbit.

The white rabbit looked about to have a stroke, when suddenly he became completely erect, even up to the tips of his ears! "I've GOT IT!" He jumped at the sound of his own voice then whispered the same phrase. "I've got it!" He motioned for Rapunzel to move closer to hear.

She came and sat on her knees, and the rabbit leaned and whispered into her ear. "You must follow me to the Queen's Castle. At a distance mind you, and when we get to the castle you must hide." He glanced over his shoulder fearfully. "Her aides are everywhere. Especially the Cat! O-oh beware the cat!" He hissed.

"What cat?"

Before the rabbit could reply his ears shot straight up again. "Oh, dear! Someone is coming! Follow at a distance! A far off, safe, far away, distance!" The white rabbit bounded away from her and up the road.

"Wait! That's too fast!" She called out. She got to her feet and ran after the rapidly departing white rabbit.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:** Whooohoooo! Rapunzel has now entered Wonderland! Oh wait... what about Jeffory? Is he in Wonderland too?!_

 _*Grins* I had a blast writing the scene with the White Rabbit & Rapunzel. He's such a flustered bunny..._

 _Thank you so much to jelsamerricup19,_ _Rohans . Daughter, & ConstanceFinnigan for your reviews. :) They are very much appreciated and make my day!_

 _Thank you to Constance, for helping me with story problems & deleted scenes. :) (Yes, my dear readers, there was a small scene taken from the story! Oh the suspense!) :)_

 _To all my readers, feel free to leave a review! I love reading them._

 _Thank you so much for stopping by!_

 _Love,_

 _~OnciePunzie~_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Puss stood in the trees watching the new entry. _The Queen will not be happy with this. Not at all._ He leaned against the tree trunk watching the girl from above. _Eighteen maybe?_ It didn't matter, she could still cause a lot of trouble and ruin everything. "I'm sorry, Seniorita… but you will have to go."

He decided to follow her at a safe distance, staying in invisibility form. He would show himself at the right time, and now was not the right time. He needed to get the facts straight for the Queen.

Puss went through the questions the Queen would likely ask.

"Where did she come from?"

Judging by her clothes, and abnormally long hair… another dimension of earth.

"How long has she been here?"

He narrowed his eyes. That he had no answer to, but upon examining the White Rabbit's behavior, he guessed the Rabbit did. Either way, the Rabbit could find out easily enough.

The next question would be the most pressing and likely throw the Queen into fits if not handled correctly.

"Has she seen the Hatter?"

No. That didn't seem likely since the girl was coming from the southeastern side of Wonderland. No, she definitely hadn't seen the Hatter.

He came to a sudden halt, because the girl had stopped moving. She'd come to the Fifths Place and seemed undecided in which path to take of the five twisting walkways.

Puss sighed. _Stupid Rabbit. He shouldn't have hurried so._ Puss resigned himself to the fact he would have to make his presence known now. At least he'd know the girl would be heading straight to the castle, and he'd be free to rush ahead and prepare the Queen for the news.

* * *

Rapunzel was torn between the five pathways. "Which one did he take?" She walked past the head of each path, hoping to find a sign that gave a hint on which direction to take.

"Mr. Rabbit?" She paused, waiting. "Mr. Rabbit, I don't know which way to go."

"Excuse me, Seniorita? Are you lost?"

Rapunzel turned, startled. "Yes, I…" She paused, confused. No one was behind her. "I-I am..." She did a partial turn, searching for the voice.

"Aaah, and where would you be heading, my dear?"

Rapunzel looked up into one of the strange colored trees. There, standing on limb, leaning against the tree's thick blue bark was a striped orange tabby cat wearing a pirate's hat with a thick yellow plumed feather sticking out from the top, shiny black boots, and a sharp pointy sword attached to the side of his belt. His chartreuse colored eyes boring into her. She paused, stunned at the strange sight. His arms were crossed, a soft purring sound reached her ears as he slowly smiled.

"I-I…I'm trying to find…" Rapunzel suddenly remembered the White Rabbit's warning. _"Beware the Cat!"_ "I'm trying to find the Castle." She couldn't think of an alternative reply.

A soft low purr drifted down again. "And, what businesses have you at the castle, Seniorita?"

"I-I." Rapunzel racked her brain trying to come up with a response. "I'm thinking of painting a picture of it! I'm an artist and the castle would be great for my next project!" She watched the Tabby closely, hoping he wouldn't see through her reply.

"Hmmm," he purred. "Well, I'm sure the Queen would love to see your work." He jumped down from the tree and walked to the head of the second pathway. "This road will lead you to the castle, but beware, Seniorita, strange things lie within the woods. Stay on the path." He paused for a second contemplating something.

Rapunzel swallowed but managed a grin. "Thank you, …um"

"Puss, my name is Puss in Boots." He whipped off his hat in a flourish and bowed. "It is an honor to help a beautiful maiden such as yourself." He grinned back up at her, eyes flashing. "I wish I could accompany you to the castle myself…but at the moment I'm afraid that would be impossible." He turned and leapt in a few bounds up a tree that was near the path she was supposed to take. "Stay to the path, Seniorita, and no harm shall come you." His eyes flashed again and a chilling smile spread across his face. "It has been a pleasure." His head came down in a slight gestured bow, and suddenly, he was gone.

Rapunzel stared in shock at the empty tree limb. "What? Where did...?" She looked around at the other trees trying to find him but he was not to be seen. Her gaze came back to the path she was supposed to take.

"Should I? The Rabbit said…but I do need to get to the castle…" She paused took one last glance around and proceeded down the path.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: YES! Chapter 3 has now been posted! *faints* Thank you so much for all your wonderful messages and encouragements! They have all made my day! ALSO! Shout-out and a huge hug & thank you to EngSarak! She made the beautiful new cover art for "Escaping Wonderland"! Isn't it perfect! Thank you, Sara!_

 _I dedicate this chapter to everyone who kept asking me about this chapter, who mentioned "the Cat" in their comments & reviews, and to Sara for the beautiful cover art!_

 _Thank you, to Constance, again, for critiquing my story! I know you've helped make this the best that it can be! Thank you. :D_

 _Well! I must say I'm super excited to show you all the next chapter! Until next time!_

 _Love,_

 _OnciePunzie!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Oncie had been walking through the woods for a few minutes. He knew many of the main curves, nooks and crannies, and hidden spots that most wouldn't find if they stayed to the paths…, at least, the ones near his house.

He stopped once he reached one of the hidden spots. A side smile quirked the edges of his face up and he could feel his eyes and heart lighten. The spot was decidedly strange, but had an unusual charm & beauty. The grass wasn't green, but a magenta pink. The trees were hues of dark purples and pinks, the leaves alternated between green and green with pink edges, not the fake green, but real springtime budding green. When he looked through the trees all he could see was darkness, but above, through the leaves, he could see glimmers of afternoon sunlight filtering through. It was definitely very…pink, but it was much brighter than most of the woods, with its dark spooky undertones. Here it almost felt… as if he'd had stepped into a livable fairytale instead of a spiraling nightmare.

Oncie shook his head. _No!_ He wasn't going to think about it. He came here to play his guitar, and that's what he was going to do. He pulled the guitar strap over his head and swung his guitar around from being strapped on his back. He strummed a few chords, listening carefully, then he paused…braced himself, and attacked the guitar with resonating chords. He spun and danced like a rock star. He let his sunglasses fall from the brim of his hat into place on his nose.

He hummed made up words, some of which made no sense whatsoever. He didn't care, he'd think more about the words later...besides, gibberish seemed to please the court when he needed to perform impromptu.

He stayed out there, making up songs for over an hour, not caring if he was missed.

* * *

Rapunzel could kick herself for leaving the path. She pushed past a towering bush and sighed. More woods.

"Why didn't I at least go back up the path…?" She let the question hang in her mind for a moment.

 _Because you didn't want the cat to see you, because you decided to listen to the rabbit and not listen to the cat,_ because _you thought you could easily cut across to another path._ Rapunzel sighed and leaned her head against a tree and groaned.

"Ugh! Rapunzel, that was so…so stupid!"

She looked up. The trees' foliage was so thick she couldn't tell if it was night or day.

Maybe she should turn back…no. She didn't even know which way _was_ back. She pulled her long braid to the front and fiddled with one of the flowers keeping her hair braided.

"I wonder if Jeffory is here as well?" She glanced up and scanned the area, searching for any sign of the lost child.

 _Snap!_

Rapunzel looked over her shoulder and stared wide-eyed into the woods. She opened her mouth to call out when something small dropped in front of her. She jumped back trying to see what fell. It looked like an over-sized pair of spectacles. She leaned over, trying to get a closer look. Suddenly, eyes blinked open, and it hopped upright on bird like feet. Rapunzel screamed and fell backwards, scrambling to get away. She heard a strange squeaking noise behind her and glanced back. A couple dozen blinking eyes stared back at her. Her breath caught in her throat, and the next thing she knew she scrambled to her feet and ran. She ran as fast as she could, branches whipping past her, slapping her in the face & hands. She could hear her screams echoing through the woods.

Suddenly, everything seemed to be leaping out towards her, trying to grab at her. Wherever she turned there were blinking eyes, looming shadows, and darkness- darkness all around. Rapunzel realized she was panicking and tried to calm herself down, but to no avail. She kept running. She felt her foot catch on something, something rough. She tumbled through the air and rolled down a slight embankment. When she finally rolled to a stop, she curled up into fetal position, waiting. Waiting for the monsters and strange creatures in the woods to come for her.

Rapunzel didn't know how long she lay there gasping for air, hot tears streaming down her face. An hour, a few moments? She finally sat up and took stock of where she was. It was a small dark hollow in the woods. The trees were still so thick she couldn't see the sky. She looked behind her and saw that her hair had begun to un-braid. She took a shaky breath and pulled her unraveling braid closer. With trembling fingers she un-did the braid. She raked her fingers through her hair in mechanical absent-minded movements.

She heard a twig snap and panic rose up in her again. She bit her lower lip, and wrapped her long hair around her entire body, like a cocoon. She gripped the edge of her hair in a death grip, and rocked back and forth. Mumbling to herself. "It's okay. It's okay. You'll be fine, Rapunzel. I-it's just the woods. Just a twig snapping. That's normal. Come on, Punzie! Come on, you can do this. _I_ can do this!"

That's when she heard it. Strains of music drifting through the air. At least, it sounded like music…

She stilled, listening, waiting.

The sound kept growing louder, and louder. Suddenly, a tall, lanky, young man came spinning into view, holding a bright red guitar, and wearing a long green coat with tails, an abnormally tall top hat, dress pants, and shiny dress shoes. He was also wearing sunglasses in the dark woods.

"Da-da-da da da, dum d-" He paused in mid-song and mid-turn, in a slightly crouched position.

Rapunzel couldn't see his eyes because of the sunglasses, but she did see his mouth fall open.

They stared at each other for a long time, neither of them saying a word.

"W-what…" The man choked out.

Rapunzel blinked, and slowly un-wrapped herself from her hair, she glanced him up and down trying to figure out if he was another strange creature that just looked human, or if he _was_ human.

"Hi, um, my name is… Rapunzel and I-I-I I'm lost…" She stood up all the way, and took a step forward, when she completely lost her balance on nothing and fell back down to the ground in a very unflattering crash.

The man with the top hat just stared, and suddenly the corners of his mouth quirked up in a slight smile. He lifted his sunglasses up, and set them on the brim of his hat. His eyes sparkled with cautious amusement. He smiled down at her and offered her a gloved hand.

Rapunzel stared up at him, and blinked. She saw a gentle kindness in his bright blue eyes. She slowly took his hand and allowed him to help her up.

"Thank you," she said while brushing off her dress. She looked up and met his gaze. "Umm…I'm trying to find the castle… and I got lost…could you tell me which way to go?"

He froze and his eyes lost the light she'd seen as soon as she mentioned the castle. He straightened up and glanced around.

"Why are you looking for the castle?" His left hand gripped the handle of his guitar hard.

Rapunzel weighed the question, trying to decide how much to tell him... "Well…I'm looking for a white rabbit, with spectacles & a waist coat, and I think I'm supposed to meet him at the castle." She watched the man's reaction closely.

His eyes widened even more and he began to search the edge of the forest nervously. He took a step forward and leaned closer.

"A-a-are you a new entry?" He asked. His gaze searching her eyes. "I mean…" His voice became a low whisper, "did you just fall into Wonderland?"

Rapunzel glanced around herself, not sure what he was afraid of, but becoming wary herself. She met his gaze and nodded her head. "Yes!"

His eyes widened and he took a shocked step back. He seemed at a loss for words, and his mouth was slightly open in shock. His eyes whipped up and scanned the horizon again, and he suddenly stilled. He seemed to be contemplating something, and then mumbled something to low for her to hear.

His eyes met hers again and she couldn't quite pinpoint the emotion…almost sadness, but it was soon replaced with a forced smile. He reached out and took her wrist in a gentle but firm hold.

"Come on. We're going to get you out of here." He turned and tugged her along after him. Slinging his guitar around with his other hand until it was braced against his back.

She followed him, not quite sure if it was a good idea or not, but it was better than staying lost in the woods…

* * *

 _Author's Notes: Yay! Chapter 4! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews & comments. Honestly, they inspire me so much and many times have given me ideas for new chapters and scenes that I wasn't planning on writing. _

_Also, I'm in shock. I've actually finished chapter 5 & I'm part way through with chapter 6! Praise the Lord! I'm hoping to post once a week, but we will see. ;) _

_Thank you so much for reading! Please keep reviewing it's so encouraging and I love reading each and every comment._

 _Thank you to Constance, again for editing my chapter! :3 I really appreciate it!_

 _News Flash! Constance is hoping to, Lord willing, post the first chapter of her fanfic soon! Aaaaah! I'm so excited! So be on the look out for that. ;)_

 _Lord willing, Chapter 5 will be posted soon! Love you all!_

 _~OnciePunzie~_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Queen paced back and forth within her waiting chamber. _Nothing!_ She had been waiting for hours and still the girl hadn't come. She turned and glared at the door, waiting for a guard to come in and announce the girl's arrival. Nothing happened. The Queen started her pacing all over again, remembering Puss's news on the new arrival.

"She's around eighteen, travelling from the southeastern side of Wonderland. I left her back at the Fifth's Place progressing on the fastest path to the castle. She should arrive within the hour if things go as planned."

 _If things go as planned._ Well, they hadn't. It had been at least three hours and things were _not_ going as planned.

The Queen's eyes flashed a deadly gaze that sent chills down her own spine.

"Ooo! Where is she? Where is she! Puss! PUSS!"

Boots could be heard running down a corridor. She turned her blazing eyes to the door and waited. Puss entered hurriedly, and bowed low.

"You called, my Queen."

"Yes. I did." The Queen took a menacing step forward. "And I'd like to know…WHERE IS SHE!" The Queen's voice went from deadly calm to a blood curdling shout in mere seconds.

Puss didn't even flinch. "I do not know my Queen. Maybe she has strayed from the path-"

"Maybe?" The Queen let out an annoyed chuckle. "Maaybe! Well, "Maybe" isn't good enough! I want answers, and I want them now, Puss!" She gazed into his bright eyes. "Understand me, _Puss._ Go find the girl…NOW!" Her arm swung towards the door, a boney finger pointing from Puss to the entry.

Puss bowed low and backed up towards the door. "Si, your majesty. I will do as you ask." He did a quick turn on his heels and quickly exited through the doorway. The guard closed the door behind him.

The queen sighed, feeling tired from the stress of the day. She made her way to her ornately carved wooden chair, and sat down. She rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and let her head fall into her hand. She ran her finger over the bridge of her nose. Images from the past rose up in her mind. She grimaced, but let them come anyway.

She was younger then, almost twenty, not a queen, just an under-average naïve girl. Wonderland wasn't quite as mind-boggling and dark at that point. It still held its wondrous beauty that had given it its name. Everything was bright and beautiful, full of vibrant colors, colors not normally seen on the average dimensions of earth.

The Queen let out a small mirthless chuckle. "Before the _others_ ruined it all." She ground her teeth and glared at nothing, glared at the memory. She remembered listening in on The Meeting. The meeting between dimensions. She'd slipped into the woods surrounding the hollow. Wanting to hear, to see, the meeting between the many races and layers of earth, but what she learned then, marked the devastating fate of Wonderland.

 _"No!" The King of Wonderland said. "I will not allow it! You can't throw a whole_ world _away! It's an injustice!"_

 _"We have no choice!" Another voice said._

 _"There has to be another way."_

 _"We've looked into other ways, this one causes the least damage."_

 _"And it's not like you'll be completely cut off…it's, it's just going to take other ways-"_

"NO!" _The King roared. "I won't let you do it! Think what that will mean to my people. They'll lose connections with friends-_ family!"

 _A man standing in the center near the king faced him. "It's a sacrifice that must be made. You're not the only world that this will effect…"_

 _"Oh! And that's suppose to make this better?! How many other worlds, how many other_ lives _are you willing to "sacrifice" to get fix_ your _mistake_?"

 _The man facing the king clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry, but there is nothing more we can do." He glanced at the other men and women in the circle, and nodded._

 _They all stood. Eyes cold, sad, ashamed._

 _"Please…!" The king said, quieter, begging. "Don't do this."_

 _The man looked back at him earnestly. "I'm sorry."_

 _There was a sound of distant music playing, almost like many different instruments formed into one, the sound grew louder, and louder, until was it just a little less than a roar, and suddenly they all disappeared in a flash. Almost as if they had never been, the only one remaining was the distraught king who fell to his knees and wept._

It was after that whole exchange, that Wonderland began to fall apart. They'd been disconnected from the other dimensions, thrown away, cast aside for the "greater good." The process happened like being cut off and thrown through the air, like being caught in the midst of a giant whirlwind and earthquake all at once. They'd gone spinning into what seemed like oblivion. The fear and chaos that lasted during those days was a nightmare, and when it all ended, Wonderland was left caught in a state of confusion. Everything had become mixed up and messed up. What once had been wondrous beauty, suddenly turned to dark disorder, madness, even insanity.

The Queen swallowed, her eyes glazed over at the memory. "Wonderland, oh, Wonderland, where have you gone wonderful Wonderland…" the mournful tune still made her quiver, made her almost remember the beautiful times…but no. The Queen's eyes hardened and her hand clenched into a fist. _No!_ It would never be like it had been again.

The Queen could practically feel her heart hardening, feel her eyes begin to blaze with anger. She almost spat on the floor but thought better of it. No, she needed to think. Needed to figure out what she was going to do with the girl. That was the problem that needed attention, not unsolvable problems from the past. Problems that could never be fixed.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: Muwhahahahahaaa! Did you see this chapter coming? I didn't. xD_

 _I dedicate this chapter to:_

 ** _Constance Finnigan_** _& **Rohans Daughter**  
_

 _Thank you for inspiring me to delve deeper into the dimensions! Your comments helped fuel my imagination!_

 _Please Review! You have no idea how much your comments, questions, and reviews help my writing and cause my imagination to come at something from a different angle!_

 _Chapter 6 is in the process of being written. ;) I'm still hoping to post a new chapter once a week, but I've also started a new fan-fiction called "Precinct 1." based off of the new Zootopia movie, so I may end up alternating chapters to every other week, but for right now I'll try reeeaaallly hard to post both once a week. ;)_

 _Life will also be very busy over the next month and a half but, Lord willing, I'll still be able to write!_

 _Thank you so much for your patience, reviews, comments, and for reading! I really appreciate it! **Hugs** I love you all so much!_

 _Love & Hugs,_

 _~OnciePunzie~_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Rapunzel was still following the tall, lanky young man. He seemed to know his way around very well and crossed through the woods with ease. They hadn't spoken since he'd found her, but she had a feeling it was more because he was afraid of being heard rather than lack of wanting to talk. She could feel his grip tighten on her hand every few minutes, as if he were afraid of something, then he'd loosen up again.

Finally, the trees began to thin out and she could see daylight. _Daylight._ She stared at the late afternoon sunlight in shock. She'd either been in the woods a full night already or had completely misjudged the time. She was guessing she'd done the latter.

The man slowed his steps to almost a halt and he scanned the area. He leaned back a little and whispered down to her. "Be very quiet here." He pointed across the break in the trees to another patch of woods. "My house is over there just behind those trees. If we meet people before we get there don't say much." He mumbled in a low voice, "They'll probably do most of the talking anyway." He turned and met her gaze. "Don't…freak out about some of things you'll see and people you meet. They may be a bit strange…but they won't hurt you. Understand?"

Rapunzel arched an eyebrow while listening to his instructions and turned her gaze to the opposite tree line. _What is over there?_ She gathered up some of her long hair in her arms for quicker traveling, in case she needed to run, and nodded. "I'm ready."

His eyes went from her hair back to her and he nodded. Then he stood up a bit taller, an air of confidence filling him, and strode across the woods with such purpose it startled her, but she hurried and caught up.

They crossed the open area quick enough, but once they were in the woods on the other side, a high pitched voice came out of nowhere and a brown hare with an orange coat and green bow tie suddenly hung upside down from one of the tree branches.

"Hatter! Hey! What's up? Or in your case what's down?" The hare's long ears gestured up and down while talking. "Hey! Who's the girl?" The hare crossed his arms and used his ears to point at her.

Rapunzel glanced at ' _Hatter_ ' and waited for him to reply. He stood and leaned back on his heel, she noticed somewhere in between here and when they were across the way he'd put his sunglasses back on.

Hatter's eyebrows shot up and his gloved hands went out to his side in a gesture of 'I don't know'. "Dunno, just found her wandrin' around, but I'm pretty sure it's _not_ her birthday, before you ask."

The Hare closed his mouth with the unasked question, then started to open it again.

Hatter cut him off before he could begin. "No, it's not mine either, you know that, and, no. We can't go and have a party. I have a lot to do today."

"Well, aren't you just the big spoil sport today." The Hare huffed. He turned his attention back to Rapunzel. "Aaaand, I'm gonna ask you anyway. _Is_ today your birthday?"

Rapunzel glanced at Hatter, then back at the hare. "Um, no. It's-"

"WELL!" The Hare cocked his head a little. "In _that_ case!" He took a deep breath and she could hear a loud note of music begin to well up inside him, when it was cut short by Hatter's hand.

"No! No. I'm not goin' to listen to _that_ song one more time. We're _not_ going to stay around, and we're not to listen to that song again!"

* * *

" _A very merry un-birthday to me!"_

" _To me!"_

" _A very merry un-birthday to you!"_

" _To me?"_

" _To you."_

Oncie rolled his eyes behind the sunglasses and 'sang' along in a deflated tone. _How March ever got the better of him…_

He shook his head.

"Hatter!"

He looked up, they all had their teacups raised. He sighed and grabbed his half-cup and raised it up. "A very merry un-birthday….tooooo you."

Then came the small bits of fireworks, the noise makers, and the tea. He rolled his eyes again. When he'd first met March and his crazy parties, they felt bewildering but kinda nice. Probably, because he'd never really had a birthday before…but after the first few days it became mundane, and lost its grandiose. Same old, same old. It was kinda funny when you thought about it…March had taken something that was meant to be a once-a-year celebration and turned it into a never ending party thinking 'why not have a party all the time and only quit for one day.' It never seemed to occur to him that by hosting a constant party it would, in the end, become normal and lose the 'birthday magic' by normalizing it.

Oncie glanced over at the girl. _Rapunzel._ It was a strange name, but he was one to talk. All his many names were strange. 'Once-In-A-Lifetime' was his given name, but his family had always shortened it to Oncie, then upon falling into Wonderland he was given the name 'Hatter', otherwise known as 'The Mad Hatter'. He sighed. Yes, life never seemed to get any better.

He watched her. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. She was grinning from ear and ear and couldn't seem to get over the novelty of 'a half cup'. He smiled a bit. _It is a bit of a shock, if you aren't used to it…_

She laughed, glanced over at him, and then her attention went back to whatever March was telling her. Oncie cocked his head just the slightest bit. She wasn't your normal girl…she seemed…he couldn't put his finger on it. Full of life? Not just happy, but…content? No. That wasn't it either, but whatever it was, she seemed to enjoy whatever came next.

He'd definitely never seen hair that long before, but then again, what did he know about girls' hair. His sisters had always kept their hair in pigtails, or short frizzy curls.

March suddenly sat straight up! "I forgot! I'm adding something new this time." He grinned at Oncie and winked. "You're going'ta enjoy this, Hatter!" He motioned for some of the others to follow him. They paraded out of the area and disappeared into the woods. The only one who stayed was Rapunzel. She looked down at her tea cup, then over at him. She gave him an awkward smile.

He didn't know how to respond, so he hurriedly took another sip of tea, watching her from behind his sunglasses.

Suddenly she got up from her spot on the opposite end of the table and came and sat down on his right. She sat there fidgeting with her hair. "Soo…um…what do you do here, umm, Hatter?"

His brow furrowed and he arched an eyebrow at her slightly. "Me? Well, I uh, well mainly I play music and put on shows for her majesty's court." He swallowed, not sure what to tell her.

She watched him quietly for a few minutes, expecting him to go on. His eyebrows went up, and he swallowed. _Come on, Oncie. You got this, be Hatter._

He sat up a little straighter then nonchalantly leaned back in the big velvet chair. "Yeah, I'm what you could call the special court performer. I write some of my own music and collaborate with some of the best mechanics of Wonderland to make each performance a real show stopper." He flashed her a cool smile and raised his eyebrows.

"What he's sayin' is that he's a court jester." A tall grey rabbit said as he sat down in the chair opposite Rapunzel. He tilted his head and nodded to her. "G'day Ma'am. I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you."

Rapunzel blinked then returned the giant rabbit's greeting with a smile. "Hi, I'm Rapunzel."

" _Rapunzel._ That's a name you don't hear often." He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "My name is Mund, and I'm the chief mechanic that helps this guy put on his elaborate shows." He pointed his thumb towards Oncie.

Oncie grimaced, but tried hard to play it cool.

"Speaking of which, Hatter…I need to know what you plan on needin' today."

Oncie's mind raced as he quickly tried to think of what he'd need for the show later. "Oh, um…I'm sorry I hadn't really thought about it." Oncie gestured with his hand. "Ummm, why don't we use the crane and beam again today, we haven't done it in awhile, and let's add large gears. I can remember the old routine, and I'll just add in a new song or something near the finish."

Mund shot him an annoyed look. "Right… I'll get on it. Can't make my day any easier can you?" Mund stood up and motioned from Rapunzel to Oncie. "He's nothing but a glorified court jester. Don't let him fool you with his pretend grandiose." Mund stepped back and gave them a quick nod goodbye. "Better go and start this job immediately, or I might not have it ready in time. G'day." He turned and marched away from the table, leaving them alone once again.

Oncie let out a sigh. He should've remembered to come up with a plan for tonight, but he'd gotten a little side-tracked. He glanced over at Rapunzel from behind his sunglasses and saw that she was watching him.

He grimaced slightly, but turned in his chair to face her a little bit more. "So…how did you end up here…I mean where did you come from?" He watched her intently, waiting for an answer.

She looked down at the table and rubbed her arm with her right hand. "Me… well…" She glanced back at him, and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. He felt his heart melt a little for her. The poor girl was probably scared out of her wits from what she'd seen today, and he'd forgotten how strange he must look to her too…in fact maybe he looked more like a Wonderlyian than he really wanted.

He reached up and took his sunglasses off so she could see his eyes. He set them on the table and turned to her again. She watched him for a second more and their eyes met. She searched his face then finally continued.

"I-I fell asleep." She looked down to the side and started playing with her hair again. "You see, where I come from there is an enchanted forest that we're never supposed to enter after dark…there have been rumors that those who go in never come out, or if they do they're crazy, and talk about another land…" She looked up and gave him a small smile. "I guess they aren't just rumors." She gave a slight laugh.

He gave a small smile back at her. His eyes growing slightly sad, remembering the days when he used to be outside of Wonderland himself…

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a change in her tone. "Actually, the reason I was in the woods is because I was looking for a young boy from my town who ran away and got lost. Everyone thought he ran into the woods." She paused and searched his face. "Have…have you by any chance seen him?"

The desperate look in her eyes made him wish he could help her, wish he knew if the boy was around. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I haven't."

He saw her face droop in disappointment and she looked down at her hands. "Oh." She whispered, then her head shot up again. "Do you know of anyone who might know if he's here? I can't leave without him if he is!"

Oncie watched her, contemplating her question. "There is one who could find out…"

"Really! Who?"

Oncie sighed and put his elbows on the table. "The White Rabbit. He's the time-keeper of Wonderland, and keeps records of every second with that watch of his. He knows when all new arrivals come…" He paused. "If anyone knows if the boy you're looking for is here, it'd be him."

Rapunzel leaned forward eyes bright with renewed hope and determination. "Really! Then I _must_ find him." A huge smile crossed her face and reached her eyes. "You said you'd help me find the white rabbit! When do we go?"

Oncie sat back, startled.

She caught the look, and her smile faded. "Y-you will help me…won't you?" She searched his eyes, pleading with him.

Oncie opened his mouth trying to say something, but couldn't. He saw the spark in her eyes dim, and disappointment seep through. He swallowed hard. How could he help her…the Queen would have his head…but at the same time…his original intentions had been to help her find the White Rabbit anyway, so why should he hesitate now? _Because now you've had time to think through this whole situation, and you realize this could cost you your life!_ He grimaced at the thought. What life…? He wasn't really living, he was being controlled, controlled like a puppet on a string.

His mind wandered back to that distant day of first waking up in Wonderland. The Queen had been standing over him, staring down at him with those blazing dark eyes. She'd pointed her boney finger at him and said "You! You will now be my new Mad Hatter."

He'd tried to scramble away from her, but he'd been surrounded by guards and Puss in Boots was standing nearby, his paw resting gently on the hilt of his sword…

Oncie hadn't argued. He'd let them take him to the castle and he began his crash course training of becoming _The Mad Hatter._ It had been strenuous at first, learning the ins and outs, the dos and don'ts…but he'd done it all. All in hopes that someday she'd be sick of him and let him go back to his own world… but that day never came, and he finally learned the devastating news. He was fated to live the rest of his days here. Never to be able to leave Wonderland again. Somehow the Queen had seen to it. He didn't know how exactly, but he did know she'd cursed him or put a spell on him, or had done _something_ so that he'd never be able to leave and get back to his own world.

He watched Rapunzel sit back in her chair, not looking at him. Oncie felt a lump well up in his throat and his chest began to feel heavy. He couldn't sit back and watch this girl end up with his same fate, and that included the child she was looking for.

He swallowed hard. "I'll help you," he whispered.

She looked up. "What?"

"I'll help you find your friend, and get you both out of here." He said, a little louder this time.

She searched his face again, then her face erupted in a huge grin and her hands came up in excitement. "Oh! Thank you!" She hopped up from her chair and wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug.

It caught him by surprise, his mouth fell open in shock, and he tried to steady himself so she wouldn't knock him over.

She let go, backed up, and did a little hop, clapping her hands. "Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me!" She smiled.

He knew he must still have the dumbfounded look on his face after the surprise hug, and his eyebrows went up. "Y-you're welcome." A smile quirked the edges of his mouth and his eyes smiled back at her.

Suddenly, a huge sixteen layer cake appeared on the table, almost out of nowhere. Dozens of sparkling candles illuminated the cake, and March suddenly appeared from behind.

"A VERY MERRY UN-BIRTHDAY…TO…YOU!"

The cake literally erupted with fireworks, and Millicent the mouse went rocketing up in the air, and floated back down with her umbrella. The fireworks were flying around in the air, and March was hopping up and down excitedly on the table pointing out each one.

Oncie decided enough was enough, and he quickly grabbed Rapunzel's hand, his guitar and sunglasses, and he ducked behind his chair, keeping his head down in case of stray fireworks. He led her to the back entrance of the Tea garden, and down a small path that led away from all the noise and chaos. Now, was the time to leave, and March wasn't going to stop him.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: This is the longest chapter I've ever posted! 6 pages! Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who left a review! I greatly appreciate it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

 _I hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter! What did you think? Alright, I think I need to make a list of all the characters and who is who, so here it goes._

 _Rapunzel is Rapunzel from Tangled but with an entirely different reason for her long blond hair._

 _Oncie (Once-in-a-lifetime Ler, Hatter aka The Mad Hatter) is from The Lorax_

 _The Queen of Hearts is Mother Gothel from Tangled_

 _Cheshire Cat and the Queen's right-hand man...Puss in Boots, from the movie Puss in Boots._

 _White Rabbit is still the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland Disney's 2D version_

 _"March" aka the March Hare is from Alice in Wonderland Disney's 2D version_

 _"Mund" is Bunnymund from Rise of the Guardians_

 _and then the Mad Hatter who was killed in the prologue is the same one from Alice in Wonderland 2D version._

 _I hope this helps clarify some roles and movies. Thank you again for reading._

 _Please review! It really inspires me!_

 _Thank you also to Constance Finnigan for editing my story! Thank you, Constance!_

 _I love you all, and can't wait to write more! Oh and for all who are also following "Precinct 1" chapter 3 is being written, and Lord willing, will be posted soon. ;)_

 _Thanks again for everything and for following this story! It means so much to me!_

 _Love,_

 _Vi!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

They'd been walking down the small, curved path for a few minutes now, and the noise from the fireworks had finally faded to nothing. Oncie let go of her wrist, and they walked in silence for a few moments. He glanced down at her. She was looking down at the ground, her long hair trailing behind her. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that her long blonde hair flowed quite a few feet behind them. He hadn't realized it was _that_ long!

He turned to her as they walked. "Um…I have a question…" He waited for her to look at him before he continued. They stopped walking, and he glanced back down the path. "…what's up with your hair?"

She paused, and then tried to hide a smile. "My hair?"

He swallowed, not sure where to go with the subject. "Um…I mean…it's…it's really long. What's up with that?"

She smiled up at him, an amused light in her eyes. She began to gather her hair up and hold it in her arms. "I don't really know." She replied coiling the long strands around her left arm. "I was born with it. I know it's kind of unusual."

He blinked. "Well… yeah, I've never seen…I mean…well." He could feel his face turning red as he tried to backpedal.

She glanced at him and let out a friendly laugh. "It's okay. I know it's odd. I've had more comments on it than I can remember. Nothing you say will offend me."

He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to…well, you know."

"It's fine." She said as she pulled the last bit of hair into her arms. "How much farther?"

He glanced up the path. "Oh, it's not far now. I need to stop by my house to get a few things done, then we'll try to find the rabbit…" He glanced around the area, silently hoping no one heard that. He decided her hair was a safer subject. "So… why don't you just… you know, cut it?" He said as they began walking again.

"Oh! I can't do that," she said, a slight hint of alarm in her tone. "You see, where I come from, everyone has long hair like mine... I mean, where I originally came from, not where I live now. I was adopted."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I was adopted by an elderly woman, named Marie, but I call her Gran." She shook her head. "Anyway, she told me that where I come from, everyone had long hair, men and women, but the women's hair was really long, like mine, and the men's hair a little longer than shoulder length…anyway, they were never allowed to cut it, because in that land, memories are kinda attached to the hair somehow. The length is kinda like a memory bank, so if it gets cut…we lose memories."

Oncie blinked, trying to let that all sink in. "So…you can never cut your hair? Or else you lose all your memories? Wow."

"We can trim the ends, but if we want to keep our memories we can't trim past three inches."

Oncie glanced over at her. "Well…that sounds really crazy, but hey, I'm in the land of crazy and upside down so… who am I to talk." He gave her a small side smile.

They were quiet for a moment, then she asked. "How did you get here?" She cast him a sideways glance.

He swallowed hard, weighing how to answer her question.

"I mean…I figured you weren't from here," she said raising her shoulders in a nervous shrug. "You don't look like everyone else, and March said something about when you arrived…"

He smiled slightly. "Yeah…I'm not from Wonderland…" He felt a lump rising in his throat again. He didn't want to think about it, didn't want to stay on this subject. He cleared his throat and faced forward again. "We're almost there." He gestured with his hand to the trees ahead. "The trees'll open up to where my house is. I need to plan out a few things for the show tonight…"

He strode ahead, not looking back at her. In a few moments the path widened, and the trees opened to his house. He heard her gasp behind him. He turned to look and found her staring dumbfounded at his house. The side of his mouth twitched in a slight smile.

"Wow! When you said your house I never realized you meant a mansion! This is huge!" She said, grinning up at his three story mansion.

He smiled. "Yeah, I didn't pick it, it's just where all the Hatters are required to live."

She walked forward and opened the white picket fence surrounding the house. She paused at the rose bushes near the house and bent over and smelled them. "They're beautiful." Her eyes roamed over the rest of the flowers. She turned and met his gaze. "This is amazing."

He walked past her and opened the door. "Thank you." He walked on through and held the door open for her from the inside, waiting for her to come in before he locked it.

He kept his back to her and took a deep breath. _Safe. We made it…_ He let out a sigh and readied himself to face her. He turned around expecting her to be watching him, but found that she was walking around the grand entryway, looking up at the ceiling and the grand sweeping staircase.

"Wow." She breathed. "This is…stunning." She walked over to the staircase and ran her hands along the smooth polished wood. This is real craftsmanship and so grand." She turned and grinned at him. "You live here?" Her eyes were wide with wonder and she gestured around the room. "If this is your house what does the castle look like?"

His smile faded a little at the mention of the castle. "Cold and stone." He replied.

He walked past her and down a long corridor to a pair of tall wooden doors. He opened them and they entered a huge library, with walls of books all the way to the ceiling. His desk was in front of an enormous picture window that overlooked a view of the woods, and the castle in the distance. He glanced behind him and saw Rapunzel's jaw drop as she saw all the books. She let her hair drop and she began looking at the nearest bookshelf, letting her finger roam over the spines of the books.

He smiled. She was a reader. He turned and headed to his desk and sat down. He opened a drawer and pulled out some papers and a pencil. He spread them out and started making some quick notes for the performance tonight.

"Do…do you mind if I read some of these books?"

He looked up and saw she was carefully holding one open in her hands. He nodded. "Sure. Go ahead. Some of them are very interesting."

"Have you read them? I mean, all of them?" She asked tilting her head slightly watching him and glancing up the tall wall of books.

"No, not all of them, but I've read a lot of them… some of them are stories and other contain Wonderland history." He pointed to the bookcases to the right. "Those red-spined books. They contain Wonderland history." He met her gaze. "Have at it, I need to get a few things done before we leave, so you'll have time to read for a bit."

Her eyes lit up and she did a little hop of excitement. "Thank you!" She instantly started reading the book in her hands, and sat down on the floor, her eyes scanning over the pages, taking everything in.

He smiled. He'd never seen another person enjoy reading as much as he did. He watched her for a moment, then shook his head and went back to work. He needed to get this figured out for the Queen tonight, or else he'd hear about it later…or worse.

* * *

Puss, stood in the middle tree branches, outside Hatter's house. He watched as Hatter and the girl walked in. He let out a low hiss of annoyance. The Queen would most definitely be angry. _Drat, that girl leaving the path._

His eyes narrowed as he watched the door. He'd have to report this new dilemma to the Queen right away. He tailed whipped around in an agitated flick and a low growl rose in his chest. Suddenly a thought occurred to him, and a slow smile spread across his face. _Yes…yes, that would most likely work, and he was pretty sure the Queen would approve this plan._

He gave Hatter's house a final look around, then turned and vanished into the woods.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: **Grins** Ooooh Dear! The CAT has seen ALL! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA_

 _Anyway, I'm so excited, I have finished chapter 8 and I'm can't wait to share it with you! :3 In fact I might not be able to wait a week, I may post it tomorrow. We shall see..._

 _Thank you so much for your fantastic reviews! Oh, you have no idea how much they mean to me and how much they inspire me! :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

 _I hope you all will have a blessed Easter tomorrow! Thank you again for everything! **Hugs**_

 _Love,_

 _Vi_


	8. Chapter 8

_Happy Resurrection Sunday!_

 _I wanted to post this chapter on this special day because it is a yearly reminder of True Hope!_

 _A Hope that never dies. He is Risen!_

 _Enjoy. :)_

 **Chapter 8**

Oncie glanced up from the work he was doing and watched Rapunzel. She had already been through two books and was now about to finish her third. He glanced out the huge window and realized the sun was beginning to go down. His gaze went to the huge grandfather clock in the corner. Six o'clock…they had at least four more hours before they needed to head out…maybe a little earlier.

He stood, went over to the wall, and pushed a small button to turn on the ornately shaped lights. Rapunzel looked up when the lights came on, then over at him. She smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded his head in response and sat back down in at his desk. He was just about to make the last few changes when she broke the silence.

"What's your real name?"

He froze and his mouth opened slightly in shock. He turned his head to meet her gaze. She was watching him, head slightly tilted, her eyes searching his.

"I was reading Wonderland history, and I realized every Hatter had a name before given the title 'Hatter'…I-I was just wondering what yours was…" She raised the book she held in her hands.

He grimaced, then looked down at his gloved hands, and twiddled his thumbs. No one since he'd been given the title of the Mad Hatter had ever asked him his name… only the Queen once, at the very beginning, and after that it had always been "Hatter."

He swallowed hard, trying to remember to breathe. He took a deep breath, not even looking at Rapunzel. "Oncie…my real name was Oncie…" He frowned and picked up his pencil to begin his work again, but his limbs and chest felt on fire with a tight ache.

He flinched when he felt something touch his right arm lightly. He looked up and saw Rapunzel standing next to him, her eyes sadly searching his. She sat on her knees and looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry." She said softly.

He had to blink back his tears. He tried to look away but couldn't… her sincere, kind-hearted gaze held him firm. She rubbed her thumb gently across his tense arm. She raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to tell me about it?" She searched his eyes some more and he felt as if she could see past him to the raw pain that never seemed to ease.

No one ever talked to him about his old life…much less genuinely wanted to know…but this girl did, and all he wanted to do was talk about it…

He swallowed hard, and looked down. "I-I never wanted to stay here…it was all an accident. I didn't know that forest you talked about earlier was enchanted…I used to be a peddler, just like my Grandpa, but I sold pots and pans and kitchen supplies instead…" He paused, images from a year ago flooding his mind- leaving home, his first two weeks on the road, then hardly seeing a soul for whole week on the road.

"I really was just starting out… I'd only had the job for a few weeks… I'd taken my grandpa's old wagon, and some of the things I'd been collecting growing up, and left home. I wanted to prove to my mom and siblings that I could amount to something, that I wasn't meant to stay on our farm the rest of my life. That I wasn't like them."

Oncie stopped and glanced at Rapunzel. She was still there, still watching, waiting, listening…

He felt her hand gently rub his arm again. He looked down, glanced her way one last time then continued. "It worked out well for the first two weeks. I was able to find a small town where I could stock up on merchandise. I've always been a good salesman, and everywhere I went I had success… then I decided to head to a different part of the country. I traveled for a week and saw no one. I thought I'd become lost, but I kept following a small trail. It finally got bigger and I came to a sign post, but it had broken off. So I decided to keep going straight…straight into the woods. I followed a river. I figured where there is water there is bound to be people eventually, and at least I'd have a constant water supply." He let out a mirthless chuckle. "I decided to set up camp right there, near the riverbank…I ate dinner, played my guitar and harmonica…then went to sleep." He paused. "And I woke up here. In this crazy, upside down, godforsaken place." The bitterness he'd always tried to keep from thinking on dripped from his last sentence. Anger and bitterness at the Queen, at March, at Mund, at that Old White Rabbit!

Oncie hadn't realized his hands had clenched to fists until he felt her fingers wrap around his right hand and gently hold it in both of hers.

He bit his lips together and met her gaze. Her eyes glistened slightly with unshed tears. It took him by surprise, then he realized he had tears in his as well. He turned his head and blinked them away.

He felt one of her hands touch his shoulder. "Can't we find a way to get you out of here too?"

His shoulders heaved as he took in an agonizing breath. "No."

* * *

Rapunzel hadn't intended to walk over and put her hand on him, but that look in his eyes had come back when she'd asked him his name. Ever since their meeting in the woods she'd been trying to pinpoint the word that described his eyes, and in that moment she knew.

Hopelessness.

That was it. He'd lost all his hope, and poured it out through his eyes, his actions, and everything he did and said.

That was why she was here, sitting on the floor, holding his hand and listening to all he had to say.

Her heart broke for him. She'd seen people that had been battered before…but this man seemed to have given up the will to even fight.

They sat that way for a long time, in complete silence. She let her thumb run across his arm, feeling the constricting tension beneath as she let her silent prayers drift upwards.

What should she do? What should she say? _Lord…I need your help…_

Oncie cleared his throat, gave a nod with his head towards the book case and gestured with his left hand. "Um… what else did you find in the books? Anything interesting?"

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She turned and looked at the pile of books that was spread out where she'd been reading. "Um… I didn't realize Wonderland had been part of the dimensions."

Oncie's mouth twitched. "Oh yeah, I remember that volume… it talks all about a historical meeting between the many dimensions and how Wonderland was cast off from them." He frowned "That's in volume 2 or 3 isn't it?"

She nodded. "Two. I didn't read all of it. I was flipping through to see what caught my eye…" She stopped before she said she was looking up things about 'The Mad Hatter." She tried to think of another subject, and suddenly she remembered something. "Actually, I was wondering about volume 9? I couldn't find it. I pulled out most of the books on that shelf to see if it'd somehow been pushed behind, but I couldn't see it anywhere."

Oncie frowned, and he stared at the half empty bookcase. "…Volume 9…Oh. That one's been missing since I've been here. I think it's about the White Rabbit and him being the Timekeeper." He shrugged. "I mean there isn't much to know about it. He resets Wonderland time every night at midnight. I think it has something to do with the dimensions' split."

She looked up. "Really?"

"Yeah." Oncie stood up and walked over to the books on the ground. He crouched down then sat on the floor amidst the books. He scanned through the different titles, till he finally found what he was looking for. "Yeah… right here." He said after flipping through a few pages. He looked over at her, and beckoned for her to come over.

She walked over and sat down next to him. She leaned closer and saw where he was pointing.

He started reading the paragraph aloud.

"When the great dimension split was about to occur, the King tried again to beg for Wonderland's mercy, of King Marcus of the 6th & 10th dimension. While his request was not granted, we were given a magical watch, that if reset every night by the 12th stroke of midnight, would preserve Wonderland through almost all of time by locking it into one of the broken dimension shards…"

He looked up at her. "The magical watch is what the White Rabbit is in control of. That's why he knows when new arrivals come. It's somehow recorded in time. He's also the only one who can get you out of here."

She blinked, then frowned. "How? I mean how can he get me out?"

Oncie shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly, but I know it has to happen before midnight of your first day in Wonderland… otherwise it gets a lot more difficult."

"But... it is possible to get out in other ways?" She asked. Her mind was whirring. If there were other possibilities, then maybe, just maybe they could get him out of here too.

"Yeah… a few." He watched her, and his right eyebrow went up. "But if you're thinking what I think you're thinking it won't work."

She could feel her eyes come alive with her excitement. "But how do you know? How long have you been in Wonderland?"

Both his eyebrows went up at that, and he glanced at the ceiling in thought. "A year I think…I've kinda lost track."

"See! You don't know everything about Wonderland. You couldn't! She gestured at all the books in the library, "Who knows what else is in these books." She sat up straight as another thought occurred to her. "And what about March, and Mund, and the White Rabbit himself? What if they have more books about Wonderland! There has to be away!"

She saw the uncertainty in his eyes. "Rapunzel…"

She stopped him and pointed at the books on the floor, grasping at another idea. "What if the answer is in the missing book?"

"But…that's not the reason I can't leave."

She paused and almost glared at him. _Why did he have to be so pessimistic?_ "Then why? Why not?"

He opened his mouth to reply, then stopped, looking slightly confused. He blinked. "I- uh… well… I actually don't know…completely."

Her eyes flashed, and she grinned at him.

He gave her a wary look. "Look…I overheard a conversation…"He took a deep breath. "I wasn't supposed to, but I'd stayed behind to put away a few things from one of the shows. I was just about to leave, when I heard the Queen coming…" he got a weird expression on his face. "I-I try my best to avoid her, so I hid in a dark corner of the room. She was talking to her right-hand man, a cat name Puss-in-Boots."

Rapunzel's mouth opened slightly, but she kept listening.

"I heard them mention me…Puss said something about how they couldn't keep me here forever…that I'd eventually find a way out…" he paused and glanced down at the floor. "Then the Queen said that 'that would never happen.' That she'd found a way to keep me here…"

Rapunzel stared at Oncie. She could tell he was reliving the memory. "And…?" she asked, leaning forward carefully, searching his face.

His eyes snapped back into focus and he met her gaze.

He swallowed. "…And…Puss didn't seem happy. I got the feeling she'd done something she wasn't supposed to do… and I also knew that whatever it was she'd done… she would have done it right. She won, and I'm stuck here. Forever." He glanced at her. "And before you go on with more ideas… don't. I asked the White Rabbit when I had a chance after that… He told me he couldn't get me out anymore-that it was almost like I had a spell, or a curse, or something. He couldn't get me out… end of story."

He stood up and handed the book back to her without looking at her. "I need to get back to work."

She hesitated, then took the book. She watched him as he walked back to his desk and sat down. He paused for a moment, then picked up his pencil and started working on something. He didn't look at her. Her eyes went down to the book in her hands. She let out a quiet sigh, trying not to let her disappointment show.

"I'm sorry." She said in an inaudible breath.

She stared at the book in her hands, trying to push back the hurt. She started gathering up some of the books around her and began placing them back on the shelf. She didn't want to give up…but how could she help him if he already had? It caused an ache in her chest…or maybe she was mad. Mad at him _for_ giving up. She slowly placed the last book on the shelf, her finger lingering on the volume he'd read from. She pulled it back out and flipped through it. Searching for anything. _Oh, what would Gran say?_

Suddenly, it hit her smack in the face, a memory from years ago, a year or two after she first started living with Gran.

 _"Rapunzel, you're my little ray of optimism."_

 _Rapunzel glanced up at Gran. "What do you mean, Gran?" she asked, tilting her head._

 _"I mean, God must have known what He was doing when He brought you and me together. He knew I'd need you. Don't lose that Punzie, that bright optimism. It's a gift, one that the darkness in this world will try to snuff out." Gran smiled down at her and teasingly poked her in the stomach. "Remember, what I've always told you. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the World", and you have Jesus in your life."_

 _Rapunzel giggled at Gran's poke. "Yes, Gran! I'll remember, God gave me a gift, and I'll make sure to share it with you and others often. She leaned up and kissed Gran on the cheek. "Especially you!"_

Rapunzel blinked and her mouth fell open. She hadn't thought about that day in years. She had to have been 8 or under. That was ten years ago…maybe more. She glanced down at the book in her hands and she _knew_. She was here for a purpose, and even if Oncie gave up, even if _she_ gave up, the One who truly mattered wouldn't, and therefore she couldn't either. She whipped around to face Oncie again, sending up a silent 'thank you' to God.

"You can give up if you want, but I'm not going to. I'll keep looking. You don't know all the possibilities out there, and neither does the Queen! I don't care if I have to go to the Queen myself. I'll find some answers!" Her eyes burned with renewed vigor.

She watched as Oncie's mouth came open in shock, and he tried to grasp for something to say. She stood tall, daring him to go against her. She grinned at him and was about to give him another pep talk when the tall double doors burst open and what looked like armored guards rushed into the room.

Oncie gave a shout of surprise and stood up.

"There she is. Grab her." The lead guard said pointing his finger towards her.

She took a step back in shock.

"Wait! What's going on here?" Oncie said, taking a step towards them.

"You're coming with us too Hatter." The guard stepped forward and made a grab for Oncie's wrist.

Oncie pulled back. "Under what charge?"

The guard caught his wrist and snapped handcuffs on before Oncie could say another word. Oncie's eyes widened in shock, and panic filled his eyes. "Wait! What's going on?"

"You're coming in for questioning." The guard answered, then turned to Rapunzel. "And you're coming in under the Queen's orders."

Oncie turned his panicked gaze to her. Their eyes met for a moment before the guard addressed Rapunzel again.

"It looks like you'll have your chance to meet the Queen after all, young lady."

The guards started pulling them out of the room, and there was nothing either of them could do but follow.

* * *

 _Authors Notes: Wheeeeeee! I hope you like this chapter! I must say, I think this is my absolute favorite thus far._

 _Please tell me what you think, it really,_ _really_ _helps me._

 _Quick annoucement: I might not be able to post in a bit because I need to update my other story, and I'm still planning how I want the next bit to unfold. It's kinda crazy because I can see the end of this book looming in the near future, and I'm trying to figure out how to tie all the loose ends together and yest still set it up for the next two stories... Oh me, oh my!_

 _To answer Rohans Daughter's review:_

 _YEES! THE PAIN! You have no idea! AAAAAHHHHH! And actually, yes! When ever I pictured Gran Marie I always thought of the Fox and the Hound lady to and yet something was always slightly off... then I finally watched "Justin & the Knights of Valor" and his grandmother actually looks like the CGI version of how I picture Rapunzel's Gran. So basically Gran is a mixture of "Knights of Valor" and "Fox & Hound" but together. Good spot on that! :D _

_Thank you sooooo much to all who of you who are reading and following my story. You have no idea how much it means to me. Thank you. **Hugs Tightly**_

 _Please review! It greatly inspires me. :3_

 _Thank you again and I hope your Resurrection Sunday was a blessed one!_

 _Hugs & Love,_

 _Vi_


	9. Chapter 9

Oncie stood ramrod straight trying not to let his fear show. He knew he walked with a confidence that far outshined anything he felt inside. He'd become very proficient at hiding behind the 'Hatter' façade… Yet, this time smart remarks, crazy songs, and false confidence wasn't going to get him out of this one…he felt that deep in his gut.

He peered out at the world in front of him through his tinted sunglasses. It was all going to end. Everything would soon be over and he'd finally be free of Wonderland.

He glanced over at Rapunzel who was walking beside him. She'd become very quiet the last few miles. At first she'd tried to make small talk with the guards, but after awhile she'd stopped.

He watched her, she seemed resigned to this… like she knew what all of this meant…maybe she did.

He felt sorry for her, sorry that she had to fall into crazy world, sorry that he hadn't been able to get her out in time, sorry for what was about to come, sorry that there was nothing left to hope for…

His couldn't help but replay her speech in his mind.

A slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth. There was so much he didn't understand about this girl… her hope, her gentle kind-hearted spirit, and the fact she seemed to see something in him since the first time they met…something only his grandpa seemed to be able to see. He couldn't quite explain it but he felt her eyes search his that first moment they met. He'd searched hers too…and he'd seen something in them that he'd never seen before…

At first he'd dismissed it as her fear of the woods but he'd seen the fear slip away and what replaced it rocked him to the core; it was trust- and that was only the beginning. Each time their eyes met he could sense something deeper about her, something… genuine… there was just _something_ about her something that he couldn't quite place…but he really wished he could.

He blinked and made himself look ahead. It didn't matter anymore anyway…they were both probably about to die.

Oncie grimaced at that thought. He'd _never_ seen someone come escorted by the castle guards leave the Queen's castle alive…

He gazed flicked over to Rapunzel again and down at their cuffed hands. The Captain had hand-cuffed them together, with a second longer chain attached to the Captain's own wrist.

Rapunzel kept her eyes on the ground, either in deep thought or shock.

Oncie bit his lower lip, breathed in deep, and before he could talk himself out of it- reached over and took her hand in his. He gave it a firm squeeze then looked ahead before she could meet his gaze.

* * *

The Queen faced the double doors in her immense court. Her forefinger moved up and down the side of her face, her eyes unfocused. She took slow even breaths, trying to remain in complete control and calm. She needed to be able to estimate the situation clearly.

 _Why did this girl need to show up and ruin everything._ The Queen's eyebrow twitched. Well, not yet anyway. There were two options to consider…One, be kind to her, let her feel at home, then make sure that Wonderland became her home…

The Queen forced back a sneer at that thought.

The second option was her personal favorite. _kill her_ on the spot.

 _Yes. That seems to be the easiest solution._ A slow sadistic smile spread across the Queen's face.

She shifted slightly in her chair, and her smile faded. There was always the third option… send her home and hope beyond hope she wouldn't figure out the secret…but this was the riskiest of all plans. Puss had said the girl and Hatter had met… and this complicated things.

The Queen let her mind wander. How would the girl know… she couldn't, not unless she read the 9th volume, and the Queen knew exactly where the valuable book lay- upstairs in a specially lined box, under lock & key…and she had the key.

A slow eerie smile spread over the Queen's pale face, and a low chuckle rumbled in her throat. _Oh, did the fates know how to play a cruel trick. That book held the answers to everything… and the 8_ _th_ _ & 12_ _th_ _dimensions were foolish enough to throw it away during the Split._

Suddenly, the large wooden doors swung open.

The Queen's gaze snapped to the front of the room.

It was only the White Rabbit. The Queen settled back in her chair. She'd deal with him later.

The Queen's eyes narrowed. No. The girl couldn't leave here alive. That was final.

* * *

 _Author's Notes_ : _After a terribly long delay Chapter 9 is now posted! I'm so sorry that it has taken this long but the past month and a half have been busy, and in all honesty I had what some may call writer's block. I hope that I'll be able to update more often but again this is the last month of school so we shall see._

 _Thank you so much to my faithful readers who have patiently hung in there and waited for this new chapter. I'm sorry that it is so short but if I had added another scene it would have been **very** long. _

_**Annoucement!** My best friend, Constance Finnigan, has finally posted her first fan-fiction! Please go check it out! It's an amazing story re-telling and is so well written, I can't brag about it enough. If you would please go check it out and give her story some love I would greatly appreciate it! It's in my favorites list and the title is "_ Pre-sode (Rebels of the Mobian Restoration) _". Three chapters have been posted already!_

 _Thank you so much again, for your kind reviews on my story! Please, continue because they help ever so much! Thank you again, and God bless!_

 _Love,_

 _Vi (OnciePunzie)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

They had finally reached the castle. Both Rapunzel and Oncie paused at the cobblestone bridge and gazed up at the stone castle. Rapunzel reached over with her free hand and grasped Oncie's hand harder. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. She'd read about the Queen and heard enough from her brief encounter with the White Rabbit to know this wasn't an ideal situation…

And Puss in Boots had been the Queen's right-hand man the entire time… no wonder the White Rabbit kept warning her to "Beware the cat."

Rapunzel's mind was racing, trying to think of what to say and do, and what not to say and do.

 _Should I mention Jeffory? No. It might put him in more danger…_ It bothered her that she hadn't found any sign of the boy. Had he already been captured by the Queen? Was he in a terrible dungeon cell, frightened and sure there was no escape?

Her thoughts were broken as the guard pushed her and Oncie forward, towards the castle gates.

She started walking and her thoughts took another turn. _What if Jeffory never fell asleep? What if he never even fell into Wonderland?_ She blinked. For some reason this thought had never occurred to her, and yet… it made sense. Maybe that's why no one had seen or heard of him, he _wasn't_ here!

A twinge of a smile touched her mouth. If she ever had a chance to find the White Rabbit and ask, she would.

The guards paraded them through the castle, up some wide stone stairs and through a grand stone hallway, until they stopped in front of some huge double doors. Rapunzel assumed they opened into the Queen's throne room.

One of the soldiers entered and closed the door behind him. Rapunzel turned her head and glanced up at Oncie. He'd let go of her hand and stood rigid, with his mouth set in a firm line. He didn't look back at her, and just kept staring straight ahead.

She swallowed and turned back to face the door, her heart pounding and chest tightening.

"En-TER!" Came the soldier's shout, and the large doors swung open.

Oncie and Rapunzel were marched forward into the immense room, and pulled to a halt at the base of three steps leading up to the Queen's throne.

The Queen sat in an ornately carved, high back, wooden chair. Her crown was like a pinnacle that drew your eyes to the blood red stone that shimmered at the top, shimmered in the shape of a heart. She had pale skin, wild raven hair with unruly tight curls…but it was the wild piercing look in her eyes that froze Rapunzel's heart.

The Queen's eyes flashed and a slow smile spread across her lips.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Her voice was as smooth as silk. Her hand came up, and her forefinger rested just below her nose. Her eyebrows shot up as if wait for something.

Rapunzel heard Oncie give a slight gasp.

"Oh…"

Rapunzel glanced to her the side. Everyone in the room was bowing to their waist. Oncie had taken off his hat and sunglasses, and cast her a quick glance. She quickly followed suit and bowed as best she could without dropping her hair.

Slowly everyone straightened, awaiting the Queen's command. The Captain of the guard behind them stepped forward. "You're majesty I-"

The Queen held up her hand to silence him. Her piercing dark gaze came back to land on Oncie. He swallowed hard.

"Well, Hatter. I see you have a friend." Her gaze flicked over to Rapunzel, then back to Oncie. "What is her name?"

Oncie's face paled, and his gazed flipped to the ground. He shifted uncomfortably searching for an answer.

Rapunzel tilted her head, watching him. His hand gave a slight quiver at his side. She froze, he was scared, scared half to death. She turned back to face the Queen, making a split second decision.

"I got lost in the woods, and he was helping me find my way out." Rapunzel was shocked by her steady voice, yet something made her bolder than she felt.

The Queen's eyebrow raised, and her lips came together in a firm line.

"Hmm, well it seems you are here now…" The Queens eyes narrowed slightly, and she seemed to be thinking something through. "Puss, come here."

Rapunzel glanced around, searching for the Tabby, but didn't see him anywhere. She turned back to the Queen and about fell back in fright.

Next to the Queen were bright glowing eyes-eyes and no body. Rapunzel had never fainted in her life, but in this moment she thought she would… The eyes seemed to be growing brighter and more pronounced, a familiar smirk appeared too, then a hat with a plumed yellow feather, a face, and then he was there. Puss in boots.

"It's nice to see you again, Seniorita." His tail curved up beside him, and he flashed her a smooth grin. He seemed amused by her shock.

Rapunzel stood with her mouth open, trying to find words but none came to her.

Puss let out a low chuckle and leaned over towards the Queen. "Si, Your Majesty, what may I do for you?"

"Puss, is this the girl you found in the woods?"

"Si, your Majesty."

"And you say she wanted to paint the castle?"

"Si, that is what she said." He turned towards Rapunzel, and his eyes flashed.

Oncie, who had been standing perfectly still beside her, suddenly shifted. Rapunzel risked a glance his way. He had shifted away ever so slightly, and his mouth was set in a firm line. She wondered why, but her thoughts were interrupted by the Queen's voice again.

"Well-what's your name again?"

Rapunzel came right back with an answer. "Rapunzel, your Highness."

"Well, Rapunzel, let's see how you work…" The Queen gave Rapunzel a broad, toothy smile. "Guards escort, _Rapunzel_ , to the dressing wardrobe." The Queen then addressed Rapunzel. "I will send one of my attendants to help you dress and to acquire any of the materials you may need. I would like you to paint the show tonight…" The Queen's gaze shifted to Hatter and stayed there. "I'm sure Hatter has planned a special show for tonight…surely, Hatter?"

"Yes, of course…my queen…" Oncie replied in a flat tone.

The Queen smiled, and her eyes flashed for a second. "Good." She turned back to Rapunzel. "I hope this is pleasing to you, dear." The Queen snapped her fingers, and the guards moved to Rapunzel's side.

Rapunzel took a deep breath and forced out what she hoped was a pleasant smile. "Thank you, your Highness."

The Queen smiled and lowered her head in acknowledgement. "You are dismissed-Hatter, you stay here please. I wish to _speak_ to you for a moment."

As Rapunzel was 'escorted' from the room, she glanced in Oncie's direction. He stood straight as a board, his mouth set in a tense line, and if she was correct, it seemed as if his face had gone a shade paler. Her gaze flicked to his hands, which were clenched in a tight fist. She felt a tight feeling in her chest, but felt one of the guards take her arm and lead her toward the door. As she left she saw the Queen stand and walk down the three steps towards Oncie. A feeling of dread washed over her and a bad feeling settled in her chest. The door shut, and as she was being pulled away, she sent up a quick desperate prayer. " _Help! Please…help."_

* * *

 _Author's Notes: The Queen made a split second decision that even I as the author wasn't expecting. 0.0  
_

 _Thank you so much for reading this far. I can't tell you how much your views, reviews, and comments mean to me. Oncie & Punzie's story holds a very special place in my heart, and I pray that you will see it and feel it too. I'm jumping a bit ahead of myself since this story is really just the foundation for the third book. **Grins** I can't wait to show you what happens next! _

_Thank you again for all the kind reviews from the last chapter! I greatly appreciate it. Please tell me what you think of this one! I hope you enjoy it. Any theories on what's going on? I can't wait to hear what you think!_

 _Thanks again, and much love!_

 _~Violet~ (OnciePunzie)_


	11. Chapter 11

Rapunzel bit her lower lip as she peered over the edge of the high scaffolding she stood upon. _Dear Lord, what have I done… help me!_ " _Help_ " seemed to be the only word she could utter in one desperate prayer after another. Taking a steadying breath, she reached shakily over to her supplied paintbrushes, and started preparing to paint whatever she could of the show tonight. She stood to face her easel and waited.

Her thoughts began to wander as she stood, waiting for the Queen to give 'the nod' for the show to begin. She frowned, as she pondered Oncie, and wondered why he'd avoided her ever since they'd been released from the Queen. _Something_ had happened… she wasn't sure 'what' exactly, but she knew he'd become distant and almost _afraid_ of her since the meeting with the Queen. What puzzled her… and in some ways almost annoyed her… was that she _cared_. _She cared._

Rapunzel let that thought sit and settle over her. She cared, and was very much hurt that he'd distanced himself… but even more than that, she just missed having him _there._ Maybe it was the fact that he'd been the first 'normal' human being she'd met here, maybe it was the confidence that he held even though he himself didn't believe in it… maybe she felt sorry for him because of his brokenness… maybe it was because despite his tall, lanky, awkwardness, he had a gentleness and compassion that made her feel safe… maybe it was his love of books, maybe it was… …maybe it was she was falling in love with him… despite reason, despite logic, despite what everything inside her told her to do… she knew she cared about him. She knew it was borderline stupidity… He lacked confidence, he was broken, only God knew what had made him that way, he didn't appear to be a Christian… he was everything she _shouldn't_ want, in fact it would be downright dangerous to think she could change him… she _knew_ that… but no matter what… she couldn't shake his eyes, couldn't shake being able to see his hurt and broken soul, and yet past the hurt, past the brokenness, she saw what he _could_ be. Something, had almost stitched her heart to his during her "speech," something that she was afraid… she wouldn't be able to change or break, not without the grace of God.

A resounding _thud_ broke through Rapunzel's thoughts. She turned her attention to the Queen, who sat in her ornately carved throne as she eyed the many people squished together on the left side of the throne. One of her guards had pounded his staff on the floor to draw everyone's attention to the Queen of Hearts.

The Queen raised her head slightly, causing the blood red stone in her crown to glimmer, her high cheekbones causing her to appear regal, almost other-earthly; dangerous.

Rapunzel froze, barely able to breathe. The room hushed. The Queen spoke.

"Let the nightly Hatter performance… _begin!_ "

The crowd erupted with cheers, the lights were dimmed, and huge red curtains, which Rapunzel would have sworn were for décor, not for use, were pulled back. She stared up in shock. _And I thought I was towering above the ground…_

Behind the curtain there was another curtain hiding something from the rest of the audience. A beam of light appeared near the top. Loud, discorded music began echoing throughout the castle. Rapunzel watched in a mix between horror and pure fascination as Oncie appeared, playing his bright red guitar, twirling around until she was afraid he'd plummet over the edge to the stone cold floor below. She stood transfixed, watching him move and sway with music, almost dare-devilishly close to the edge. A moment later the secondary curtain fell away to show a ginormous set, built out of moving metal gears and parts. The whole set slid out towards the center of the room, and Oncie, while still strumming his guitar, took a flying leap into the air, towards the side of the set, her side, and began plummeting towards the ground. Before she could let out a scream, he landed feet first on a metal bar which was being swung around through the inner clock-like workings of the set. Again, he twirled, and spun, and sang, sometimes with lyrics that made absolutely no sense.

Rapunzel felt an icy chill come over her, and she remembered to start painting. Something told her not to turn and look at the Queen. She started her painting of the set, of Oncie and his red guitar, of the crowd watching from below, and finally, of the Queen, staring up from her throne, watching the whole scene unfold before her eyes. Rapunzel finally risked a glance towards the Queen, and was met with a piercing, icy, stare. Rapunzel forced herself to look away and back at her painting… but she could still feel the cold hatred from the Queen of Hearts.

The floor began to rumble slightly as the set pulled forward again. _Ping!_ Something metal went flying past Rapunzel's easel, nicking the stone wall behind her. She glanced up and her whole being froze. The huge metal beam Oncie had been swinging on had come loose from its tied position and was headed straight for her. She took a startled step back and her stomach lurched as she felt her foot connect with one of the paint cans at her feet. That was all it took—she felt herself begin to fall. She tried in vain to regain her balance, tried to right herself. She closed her eyes and screamed. She heard the easel and scaffolding crack as the beam made contact. It all happened in an instant and she _knew_ she was dead, or at least was about to be.

It took her a few seconds to realize everything had stopped. She was no longer falling yet she could have sworn she hadn't hit the ground…maybe she had and she was dead already.

"Hold on there, Sheila! I gottcha!"

Rapunzel forced her eyes open and realized she was dangling over the edge of the beam, the world upside down, and Bunnymund's paw clamped tightly over her ankle. She gulped and tried to reach up to him with her hand, but couldn't find any leverage.

"Hold still! Do ya want me to drop ya?" Bunnymund grunted, as he readjusted his grip on her ankle.

Murmuring and gasps of horror could be heard below as the audience watched the scene unfold.

"Bunny, swing it over here!"

Rapunzel craned her neck and saw Oncie gesturing to the side of the sets. He disappeared from her view for a bit then reappeared on a lower section, reaching up to grab her hands.

"Lower the beam gently." He commanded. He searched her eyes a moment, then gestured with his hand. "Try to reach out for my hands. I'll grab you by the arms and pull you in."

She nodded, still too scared to speak. She reached out for his hands and felt his hand close around hers.

"Okay, Bunny, Lower it a little more and I've got her."

She felt her body being suspended for a moment longer, then she felt Oncie wrap one of his arms securely under her arm and around her back, then for a terrifying second she felt her foot being freed. Before she could panic Oncie caught her legs and carried her into the safety of the set.

"A-are you, okay?" He lowered her feet to the ground, but kept a careful hold of her arms to steady her.

Rapunzel could only nod her head while trying to fight the dizzying panic. Her heart still felt caught in her throat. She leaned her head against his chest, then wrapped Oncie in a tight hug. He stilled and she could feel his hesitation… _This is probably making him super uncomfortable…_ She was about to pull back when he hesitatingly returned her hug.

She could feel her body begin to relax. _Hugs are so therapeutic…_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a small object hitting the ground a few feet away. Oncie pushed her away while peering up some hidden stairs. He took a few steps to get a better view, then reached down to pick up the fallen object. He examined it for a moment, a frown creasing his forehead, then he craned his head, searching above again.

"What is it?" She took a step closer.

He started to reply when Bunnymund swung into the set with the beam gently landing on the set floor.

"You doin' alright, Sheila? That was a mighty big scare you gave us." He glanced at the thick wire holding the beam and cursed. "If it weren't for that useless piece of equipment it wouldn't have flown amuck like that."

Rapunzel stepped forward and gave Bunnymund a hug. "Thank you for saving me. I-I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you."

Bunnymund's nose twitched and his ears went back with embarrassment. "Aw… it was nothing, darlin'. Just bein' alert's all." He cleared his throat and gave her a quick hug. "Just glad you're up and about."

Bunny pulled out of her hug and marched over to the stairs near Oncie. "I'm gonna check and see what's wrong with that fooled contraption."

Oncie nodded. "Check and see if this might be part of the problem. It just fell from up there." He tossed a small object up to Bunnymund as he ascended the stairs.

"Right, I'm on it." Bunnymund nodded a goodbye to the both of them and disappeared above.

"What was it?" Rapunzel asked, moving towards Oncie and glancing up where the small object had fallen from.

Oncie stared at her for a few moments and seemed hesitant about telling her. He bit his lips together, then sighed. "It—It appeared to be an unscrewed bolt from part of the beams holding place…" He searched her eyes for something, then turned. "Come on, let's take you down the rest of the way."

She watched him descend another set of stairs and frowned. "You mean… it just "came off?""

He paused partway down the stairs and met her gaze. "Maybe." He began walking down again.

She couldn't believe that was all he had to say. She hurried to catch up with him. "But…what-"

He turned and held up his hand. He put a finger to her lips and gave her a warning look. "It probably just wasn't screwed on right." He leaned forward. "Alright?"

She lean backed and blinked, staring into his eyes… this time hiding whatever it was he was thinking. "Alright." She gave him a nod, then continued to follow him down the stairs.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: It's finally here! I sincerely apologize to my dear readers for the lack of posts and updates. The only excuse I have is super cliche but... I had Writer's block. I thank you all for your favorites and reviews. Really they help me keep going. 3_

 _Lord willing, I will be able to update again in the near future. ;D I'm working with a group of editors on YT to create a type of Escaping Wonderland trailer! Hopefully, it will be finished in the next two months and I can update again. We shall see!_

 _Thank you again, especially to all of you who have hung in there since Easter. I'm so thankful and grateful for all of you._

 _If you would, please leave a review, comment, critique. It would mean a lot. Thank you again!_

 _Love,_

 _OnciePunzie (Violet)_


	12. Chapter 12

The White Rabbit watched the whole scene unfold from the far opposite side of the Queen's Court. His nose wouldn't stop twitching, and his feet were shuffling every few seconds. He kept muttering to himself under his breath, fear clutching his heart. "Oh… oh… this is bad. Can't get much worse than this!" His eyes shifted back and forth between Rapunzel and the Hatter. They stood before the Queen, who was livid with rage.

The White Rabbit watched in horror as she stood and screamed at them. The whole atmosphere of the room had changed once the Hatter and the Girl came out from the set. The White Rabbit raised a quivering paw to straighten his spectacles. He tried to block out the Queen's screams but it was impossible.

He squeezed his eyes shut, grappling with the overwhelming sense of guilt filling him. Here he stood cowering in the corner like the scared rabbit he was, letting yet another human fall victim to the Queen's wrath.

He grit his teeth, trying to talk himself out of what was coming. "I can't do anything for them. Not a thing. I won't risk my head for a silly girl who wants to lose hers!" A memory from almost a year ago came rushing back to mind.

" _Please! There has to be something you can do to get me out! You're my last hope! I can't stay here! I can't stay here with HER!" Hatter's desperate plea was pitiful to behold. The Hatter was on his knees at the White Rabbit's door. Begging for_ his _help._

" _I can't help you. Go away."_

" _No! I won't! I can't! I read the 8th Volume! I KNOW you are the one who can get me out!" Hatter's voice lowered to a hoarse whisper, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. "Please, help me."_

 _The White Rabbit's nose twitched, and he cast a nervous glance around then bent over close to Hatter. "I'm sorry… I can't." He swallowed hard, glanced about again then whispered. "What the Queen has done to you, I can't control or fix… I'm afraid- no one can."_

 _Hatter's gaze turned to sheer hopelessness, and he fell on his hands weeping. "No…" He moaned. "I can't stay like this… I can't."_

 _The White Rabbit leaned over and handed him his handkerchief. "I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do."_

It had been true… all of it. There _was_ nothing he could do… but that hadn't been the full truth. The White Rabbit felt his heart sink as he faced the truth himself.

The Queen of Hearts _had_ saved their world. She helped keep it from the doom it would have met otherwise… but at a price. She used the 9th volume that was the true cause of all the dimension's destruction in the first place.

" _White Rabbit, this Pocket Watch is no ordinary pocket watch. It will keep time frozen back by hundreds of years here, and prolong our lives and the lives of our world. You must always reset it at Midnight of each day…"_

 _The White Rabbit took the large pocket watch, and a strange sensation shook his body. He glanced up at the Queen in alarm. "My Queen! This is…"_

" _Just use it." She stared hard into his eyes. She turned and walked away, and that's when he saw it- the evil book, the book of taboos, the 9th volume._

The 9th volume was not a normal book to be had by anyone. It was a book that could be found in almost every dimension that hadn't destroyed it immediately. Some saw it as a vast treasure of knowledge, others destroyed it and banished it from their worlds and kingdoms. Others, such as the previous royals of Wonderland, had kept it under lock and key except for emergencies. It was an evil book full of dark magic that should never have been used by anyone… yet here it had saved their lives.

The White Rabbit sighed, feeling his age. He remembered when he'd first seen the book, under the rule of the previous King. He was visiting the King's former house, the house that now belonged to the Hatter, and had entered the King's Library. There it had been right among the other books. The King said he could keep a good eye on it that way.

The White Rabbit had given it a good look over at the time, the King wanting his thoughts on book. His conclusion: it was a powerful book that could easily destroy whoever owned it, and their very world. It wasn't evil in an obvious way, but as he read, the meaning behind some of the curses and spells showed a deeper, seductive darkness that could turn even the strongest of people to chose an easier path than they should have. When he gave his two cents worth to the King, the monarch left the room, telling the White Rabbit to let himself out. A few days later, the King was found dead in his study. Wonderland feared for their existence, and a small group of village young people who refused to give up on their world came and took over the land- and the Queen of Hearts was crowned.

The White Rabbit opened his eyes and gave a long stare at the Queen, watched as she stalked closer to the two young people cowering before her. She hadn't always been the Queen the people saw today. She was kind at the beginning, always ambitious and with a heart for her people- but now… He gazed about the Castle, at the people waiting with baited breath for the Queen's final cry, at broken scaffolding, at the insanely elaborate sets for Hatter's show, at all of the ugly mixed-up mess which had once been a beautiful world. Now she was a crazy tyrant, running things her way and hers alone.

The White Rabbit started to choke as he realized- finally seeing clearly what had truly destroyed the Queen and their world. _The 9th volume._ The book of ill-gotten evils, the book that could destroy not only a world but the person who kept it. The book which she had used once, then twice, and was slowly but surely poisoning the Queen with the madness she was known for.

"OFF WITH HER HEAD!" The Queen's boney finger pointed straight toward Rapunzel. The cry echoed through the cavernous hall.

The White Rabbit watched in horror as the men and women took up the cry, "Off with her head! Off with her head!" It was happening again, and this time it was an young innocent girl. Tears filled his eyes as he realized he could no longer sit back and follow his Queen's orders. _He_ , the nervous, fidgety, do-as-he-was-told, old white rabbit was the only one who could possibly put a stop to the Queen's murderous plan.

He remembered back to the Hatter's plea for help, to the Girl's confusing entrance into their world. He couldn't fix all of the mess Wonderland was in, but he could help the two of them, give them a second chance. His gazed focused on the Girl. _She_ was their only hope.

The White Rabbit shook himself and began to plan as he pushed through the mob of people shouting for Rapunzel's death. He had to get to them first before the guards took her away. Had to get her out of the castle.

He was too late. The guards were well on their way to the front. However, they hesitated upon reaching it.

The Queen was no longer on her platform before the court, she had strode from her throne to stand in front of Rapunzel. She had caught Rapunzel by the wrist and shook her, yelling at her, then throwing her to the ground. The Queen raised her hand again, her eyes gleaming with the anticipation of her victim's death, kicking at the poor girl, when a shout rang out.

* * *

"NO!" Hatter stood protectively beside Rapunzel, eyes blazing as he stared defiantly at the Queen. "No! I won't let you touch her! She hasn't done anything to you."

For once the Queen was at a loss as she met Hatter's hard gaze. The anger in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. She saw what seemed to be the spitting image of the first "Hatter" in her life, come back from her past to set her in her place once again. The Queen felt her knees go weak underneath her and stepped aside as Hatter reached down and helped Rapunzel to her feet. Then he turned and faced the Queen, still holding the girl's hand.

"Don't you ever go near her again!" He ground out, his eyes still burning through her.

The Queen swallowed hard, fear beginning to engulf her as she no longer saw the Hatter she had made this boy be, but the Hatter she had loved, feared, and admired as a young girl many years ago. _Laurence Ler…_ The Hat peddler who had also fallen into their world, the man who had broken her heart, the man who had left her to be destroyed along with her precious world. She no longer heard what this Hatter was saying, she couldn't even see him, all she saw was the spitting image of Laurence… from his striking confidence down to his cold hard eyes. This towering boy was no longer the fearful cowering servant he'd been just days before, he was an angry young man, ready to go to war with her, all because of _that girl_. The Queen's gaze flicked towards Rapunzel, standing behind Hatter's left shoulder and still gripping his hand.

Her gaze snapped back to Hatter. His sharp tone pierced through her drifting thoughts. "Let her go and return her to her home. Now." His resolute gaze shot straight through the Queen's heart, and that's when she felt her carefully controlled world shatter.

The Queen closed her eyes fighting with her own soul. She remembered herself, how she had waited for Laurence to come and take her to his world with him, to save her from her dying world- and how he never came. Her heart hardened again within her, turning as hard as stone. She wouldn't let this boy control her just because he was finally showing a little backbone. No.

The Queen opened her eyes, and gave him an icy stare. "Kill them. Kill them both."

Hatter took a step back, his firm gaze wavering as panic overtook him.

The Queen smiled. _No. He is still the frightened boy he always was, and this moment of heroics is over._

* * *

 _Author's Notes:  
_

 _After a long...wait, the next chapter is finally here! **Cackles** I hope it was worth the wait._

 _I would like to dedicate this chapter to a few people._

 _To Rosy Bear, thank you for your encouraging messages about Oncie & Punzie! You greatly sparked my motivation for this story again! I hope you enjoy this update! :D_

 _To Rohans Daughter, AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! This edit is so wonderful! Thank you so much for critiquing and editing my story! I really appreciate it! If it weren't for you this wouldn't have been posted as soon. You've helped me so much with this story, the MEP, and everything! Thank you for always being such an encouragement, and for not letting me give up on my MEP. 333_

 _To Moonshadow, Thank you SO much for the amazing piece of fanart for my Birthday! 3333 You helped spark my creativity again! Thank you so much! I LOVE this art! **Hugs**_

 _To My Mom, who puts up with all my nerdy-ness, and even gave me Oncie Punzie inspired cupcakes for my birthday! Thank you! Love you, Momma!_

 _To God, Dear God, thank you so much for always guiding me with this story and giving me the ideas and inspirations I need to help keep this story going! Thank you for bringing this chapter and ideas back to my remembrance! I pray that these characters and this story will always bring the Glory back to You and that it will shine Your light to others! 3_

 _Thank you to all who have read this story thus far! Please, please, please, review! I love to read each and every one of them! (I also want to know what you think of this chapter in particular! Any surprises that you didn't see coming!?)_

 _Until next time! Good night & God Bless! 3 _

_~Vi~_


	13. Chapter 13

Oncie glanced about as he heard the guards heading towards them again. He spun on his heels and made a dash for the main door, dragging Rapunzel along with him. Fear coursed through his whole body when a guard came close to snagging his coat tails. He dove into the stunned crowd, not letting go of Rapunzel's hand for a second. He heard the guards bellowing for the crowd to move aside, for someone to stop them.

He saw an opening ahead and pushed through the remaining mass of people. A wave of relief washed over him. But it was short lived. He felt Rapunzel pull hard on his arm as she went crashing to the ground.

Oncie turned and saw that her feet were tangled in her hair. He cursed under his breath. "Are you alright?"

She looked up, breathless, and gave him a nod. She tugged on her hair, trying to gather it up in her arms.

He glanced behind them and saw the guards making headway through the crowd. Then a hand from one of the courtiers tried to grab Rapunzel. Oncie shot past Rapunzel, gathering what was left of her loose hair. He scooped her up as well, making a second dash for the door... The door which had three guards blocking it.

He searched for another exit but knew there was none on this side of the court.

Crash!

One of the huge red drapes came crashing to the ground, billowing out over the guards. Oncie risked a glance up and saw Mund near the top giving him a roguish wink. Oncie gave him a quick nod and then bolted through the door, stepping on the floundering guards as he went.

He felt Rapunzel's arm grip his neck as he raced through the castle corridors, looking for a way of escape.

He turned a corner and groaned. "No!"

"What is it!" Rapunzel clung tight to him.

He turned and ran back the way they came. "I made a wrong turn." He could hear the guards coming from behind them now.

Oncie came to another intersecting hall and froze. He couldn't remember which hall led to the side gate.

"Psst! Hatter, over here!" The White Rabbit appeared from the shadows and beckoned them to a doorway.

Oncie was unsure. Could the Rabbit really be trusted?

"Check down that Hall, men!" The guards' shouts reverberated from every direction.

Oncie had no choice. He followed the White Rabbit to the door and down a set of steep stone stairs.

"I can get you out." The White Rabbit called over his shoulder. "We must hurry to the woods and then- Ooff."

Oncie came to a halt on the stairs as the Rabbit buckled from being hit in the stomach with the blunt end of a sword.

The head guard faced them. "Oh no you don't! There's nowhere to go now, Hatter."

Oncie felt the blood drained from his face and his arms begin to slacken. Then Rapunzel leapt away from him, heading straight towards the guard.

"Rapunzel!" He made a grab for her but before he could snag her arm she was in the air jumping over the guard, looping her hair over the man's neck and sending them both crashing to the ground.

Oncie stared for a moment- shocked. Then he ran down the remaining steps. "Rapunzel! Rapunzel, are you alright?" He grabbed the soldier's fallen sword as he went and kneeled beside Rapunzel.

Rapunzel was on her knees, eyes wide. "I can't believe that worked." She peered at the guard who was groaning and holding his head.

Oncie glanced from the guard to Rapunzel, then searched for the White Rabbit. The White Rabbit was also just beginning to stand.

Oncie heard the guards reach the top of the stair, and he made a split second decision. "White Rabbit. Take her and get out of here!" He stood and gripped the sword with both hands. "Leave. Now! I'll hold them off."

"WHAT! No! We're both leaving." Rapunzel jumped to her feet and gripped his arm. "We're getting out!"

He glanced down and met her gaze. "No. We're not but you are. Rapunzel, I already told you… my fate is sealed here, but yours isn't. I'm not going to sit back and watch you die. Please, go. Go and live the beautiful life you deserve…" He paused, searching her eyes, memorizing them, holding onto every detail of this beautiful girl. He reached out and cupped the side of her face. He started to say more, but he heard the guards getting closer. "Go on! Hurry!"

The Rabbit grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

"No!"

"Come on, girl! You're our only chance! Hurry! This way."

Oncie risked one last glance as Rapunzel and the White Rabbit disappeared down the hall. "Good-bye… Rapunzel."

He grit his teeth, grasped the sword in both hands, and then charged up the stairs, facing the guards head on.

* * *

Rapunzel tried to pull away from the White Rabbit as he tugged her further away from Oncie.

"We can't just leave him!" She couldn't give up on him now, not when they were so close.

She started to protest again when the White Rabbit faced her. "Listen girl," he said, peering at her over his spectacles. "You are the only one who can make a difference to the Hatter now, but to do this you need to get to safety first. Now, are you going to trust that we know what's best or are you going to go back and get us all killed?"

She bit her lower lip, trying to collect her thoughts. God, what should I do. She closed her eyes, trying to make a decision. The decision was made for her when an arrow clanged against the stone wall next to her head.

"Ah!" She stumbled to the side and gawked at the arrow buried in a crack in the stone. "Alright! Let's go, Mr. Rabbit." She gathered up her hair and ran.

She threw up silent questions to God as she hurried from the castle. God, why!? Why, do I have to leave him behind? Please, don't let him die! I don't want him to die. She felt tears brimming and tried to blink them away. She couldn't cry now.

As she ran, she her heart calmed as Gran's wisdom came to mind. "Rapunzel, God doesn't always do things the way we want them, but He always does what is best- for us and for others. Trust that HE is God."

Gran was right, this whole situation wasn't in her control. That gave her hope. She didn't get to decide what happens next but no matter what God still cared, for her… and for Oncie.

Her attention focused on the White Rabbit as she realized he'd been speaking to her. "The Queen's book is one of great evil! That is why the Hatter has been trapped here for so long… but you see it's not too late for him as long as he has you."

The reached the edge of the woods now, and the Rabbit hurried into it's depths. The moon barely gave enough light to see in the thick woods but she tried her best to follow the Rabbit.

"What do you mean, 'As long as he has me?'" She brushed a low hanging limb from her path.

"You must find him in your world! You MUST wake him up."

"Wake him up…" She paused "Wait- You mean he's still asleep in my world!?" Her mouth opened in shock at the news.

"Yes! He most definitely is from your world." The White Rabbit turned and gestured for her to follow faster. "Time works differently here than in your world. You and he are from the same world and the same time, he's been here for a year in our time but not even a full night in yours." He hopped past a fallen log, glancing behind them. "I can't explain it all right now, but you can still get out since it's your first full Wonderlyian day. You have until Midnight on my watch!" He tugged her along again.

"You must find and free the Hatter before then! Find him and wake him up! If he is still alive here he will still be alive there, but this all must happen before Midnight- er, well, and before the Queen finds him and has him beheaded. That too."

Rapunzel felt her head swimming with all the information as she realized how impossible this task would be. "But, how…" She shook her head, "Nevermind. How much time do I have?" She frowned in concentration as the White Rabbit glanced at his large pocket watch.

"You have five minutes by my watch." He came to a sudden halt in the center of a clearing in the woods. The White Rabbit turned and faced her. "It has been a pleasure to know you, Rapunzel. I hope you will fare well in your world. The both of you." He took a step back and opened the face of his watch. It began to glow with a bright yellow light.

The White Rabbit pushed something on the side and then re-wound the hands of the watch. "Hurry, Rapunzel, you don't have much time. Farewell, dear girl!" He pushed one last button and the light circled around her.

"No! Wait!" She reached out but was too late as the light engulfed her. Images from her time in Wonderland whirled past her in all directions.

She saw herself and Oncie being brought to the castle, their time in the library- another scene skipped by of the tea party with March & Mund. A close up image of her meeting with Oncie. She felt her heart skip a beat as she met his eyes, then a new scene, her meeting with The Cat, the scenes flew by faster now, she was meeting the White Rabbit. She felt the yellow light begin to fade and spin into the colors of Wonderland, faster and faster to the point she couldn't tell if she was standing or falling. She then saw herself asleep under a thick oak tree.

"There it is!"

For an instant she saw him, saw where he lay asleep near a wagon beside a dying fire. Then… the world went black.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Greetings Again, Everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews and encouragement of the previous chapter! 3 God has been and is doing amazing things with this story! I just want to say thank you for your support and patience for this story._

 _Again, a HUGE thank you to Rohans Daughter for critiquing and editing this story! Honestly, you're edits have been a huge blessing to me, and I can't express my gratitude to you enough! Please, everyone, I beg of you to check out her YT channel, and her Wattpad! She is not only an amazing editor but an amazing person as well!_

 _And to quote a favorite author of mine, because God deserves SO much praise for this story and it's progress! "And to God Almighty, who has for now, blessed me with these!" 3_

 _~Vi~_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Rapunzel slowly opened her eyes, unsure where she was. "Where…?" She bolted upright. "Wait! Where am I?!" She cast a frantic glance around, searching for the White Rabbit, the Guards, someone! Yet all she saw was the rough brown bark of an old oak, the green leaves of a bush nearby, and the grey skies just before the dawn. "I-I'm home…" She blinked. Wondering if it was all just a dream.

"ONICE!" She hopped to her feet. It couldn't be a dream, it had to be real, and that meant she had less than five minutes to find Oncie and wake him up.

She stood in place, unsure where to look. "God, I don't know where to go!" She glanced every direction, praying for a hint, anything!

" _...I followed a river. I figured where there is water, there is bound to be people eventually, and at least I'd have a constant water supply."_

The River! That was it! He was near the River! She gathered her hair and ran. As she ran images came flooding back to her mind. She focused on one- Oncie asleep near a wagon, next to a dying fire. She had to find him, and fast. _Lord, please protect him. Please don't let me be too late!_

* * *

Oncie knew he was fighting a losing battle. He was actually surprised he'd manage to hold the guards off this long. He blocked another blow of the enemy's sword. He was caught in the middle of the stairs, the guards unable to continue down because he refused to budge an inch.

Once the White Rabbit & Rapunzel had gone, he'd charged up the stairs full force. He wasn't very proficient in the art of swordsmanship, in fact he'd do better in an all-out fist-fight, but what had really helped for once was his size. He was quick on his feet and super thin. While he'd been teased about this his whole life, it was coming in handy in the cramped stairwell. He'd lost his top hat somewhere in the fight, and his green coat was tattered. But he refused to back down. Yes, he knew this was a losing battle, yes, he knew he was going to die, yes, he could just give up and let them overwhelm him… but he couldn't quite yet. He _had_ to make sure he gave Rapunzel and the White Rabbit enough time to get out. He couldn't quit now. Not quite yet.

 _Whoosh!_

He felt the edge of a blade just miss the side of his face. He gulped and backed down a step. _THIS WAS CRAZY!_ He felt his resolve begin to waver. He wasn't a hero. He never could be. He still wasn't sure how he had ended up in this mess in the first place.

He backed down another step as one of the guards pushed down on his sword.

He was just Once-in-a-Lifetime Ler. Nothing special, in fact he was _under_ special. He was a useless good-for-nothing. That's what he had always been told. So why fight? Why try to stop the inevitable…

He grit his teeth and pushed back again. _Because of her._ He had to fight because of her. She'd given him something- hope. He smiled to himself. She was crazy too, she was hopelessly optimistic- wait, was that even possible?

He gasped as he felt a guard's sword knick his arm. He glanced to his side and saw one of the burning torches. He reached out his left hand and caught hold of it. Using his sword as a shield, he swung the flames towards the soldiers, pushing them back again.

Yes. He was still a coward at heart. He was scared out of his mind right now. He felt himself pale as he remembered all that he had said to the Queen. Oncie inwardly groaned. Yep, he was dead.

He fought to catch his breath as he parried another blow. He thought back to the moment when he and Rapunzel stood before the Queen. He'd been frozen with fear for the most part. He knew with utmost certainty that the Queen had arranged for the beam to fall, it had been deliberately tampered with.

Oncie felt his foot slip. He tried to catch his balance but twisted in the wrong direction. He felt himself crash down the stair, he knew he was going to die… yet all he could think about was Rapunzel.

When the Queen started hitting Rapunzel something broke in him. He remembered their talks, the warmth of her hand on his arm, her beautiful optimistic smile, her kind eyes... all he could see was the kindest person he'd ever met getting abused. Something he knew better than most- and he couldn't bear to watch it happen to her.

 _Crash!_

He was knocked from his thoughts as he hit the stone floor. He lay there dazed, trying his best to focus. _Come on… get up. Keep fighting._ He coughed and forced himself to his knees.

 _Bring your sword up. Now!_

He wasn't sure where the thought came from but he followed the command and felt the clash of blade upon blade.

Everything was a blurry daze, but he somehow managed to pick himself up and block the stair exit. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. His arms ached from the weight of the sword, and he was pretty sure he felt blood dripping down the side of his face.

 _Just one minute longer. One. More. Minute._

He felt something hard hit the back of his head and he went down. He blinked hard as he hit the ground.

"Take him to the Queen." Bright green cat eyes peered down at him. "She wants to see him one more time before he dies."

Oncie's vision blurred. " _Rapunzel… did you get out? Are you safe?"_ She was the last image he could picture before darkness enveloped him.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: Please Review!_

 _**Takes a Deep breath** So, we are getting closer to the end of Book One of my Oncie Punzie series. (Seriously, I need a series name for them because right now I just call it my "Oncie Punzie Story" So, original right? XD Annyway, I am astonished, shocked, and excited to announce that the next chapter will be the final chapter of the Escaping Wonderland. I really have to give a joyful praise to the Lord for this because there was a point I thought this might not happen and yet here it is, and ALL the glory goes to God for this because if He hadn't sent inspiration and encouragement to me this would still be sitting on the shelf at Chapter 11. Thank you, God that YOU are the ultimate Author and inspiration giver! Ironically, in a sermon today I heard a profound and encouraging thought & truth. "God is the Creator of creativity and He made us to come up with things and create! How cool is that! he gives us all our stories, our edits, our art, all our ability to come up with cool ideas, characters, inventions, art, and etc, it all comes from Him and I'm thrilled to know that when I reach _my _limit HE takes over and goes beyond what I could ever ask, think, or imagine! _

_Anyway, I'll sign off here for now. I also want to thank Rohan's Daughter for editing this chapter! Honestly, Rach, you are helping me to get this out on time and I thank you, so, SO much for your time and help!_

 _Please, if you have time review this chapter! It's such an encouragement and helps stir me on! Thank you again for sticking with this and reading thus far! God Bless you, and until Next Sunday, I hope you have an amazing and blessed week!_

 _To God be the Glory! Amen._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Rapunzel was on the riverbank. She gasped for air as she glanced up and down stream. Which way now?

A shape caught her eye and she squinted for a better look. The wagon! It was the wagon! She raced towards it, praying for time, begging God for a just little more time.

She stumbled into the camp and there he was, fast asleep next to his wagon. Oncie was in pajamas with a grey fedora over his eyes. She slowed down as she approached him, suddenly unsure as how to wake him up.

"Oncie!" She knelt down next to him and tried to gently shake him awake. "Oncie, wake up!"

He didn't stir. She bit her lip and grabbed his wrist, searching for a pulse. It was there.

She grabbed his hat from his face and rushed to the river to fill it with water. "I'm sorry about this," she muttered, and then she doused him with the hat full of water.

Nothing.

She tried banging pots, shaking him, calling out his name... Nothing happened.

"WHY!"

She started to give him firm rough shakes. "ONCIE! WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP! I won't let you give up! I won't let you die!" She felt tears fill her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She couldn't bear to see him die, not now… not yet.

She finally gave up on shaking him, and sat next to him, sobs shaking her shoulders. She couldn't give up… she just couldn't give up on him.

"God, please help me…" She could feel time ticking away, was she too late already? Was his time up?

Rapunzel leaned closer, brushing some hair from his face. "You did it for me…" She leaned her forehead against his. "You shouldn't have chosen to die for me…" Tears fell from her cheeks and splashed onto his.

Her heart felt as if it were breaking in two… maybe it was crazy- love at first sight- but she couldn't deny it, no matter how broken or messed up or hurt he was… he was her soulmate. She couldn't explain it to the world, she couldn't even explain it to herself, but she knew, deep inside she knew. Right now she felt the most bitter of pains coursing through her heart, threatening to tear her in two.

"Please, don't die… I love you…"

She could hear his breathing become shallow, almost a whisper. She was out of ideas, there was nothing left… and she wasn't ready to let go.

She leaned closer, scared, tentative, and then she kissed him. Tears still streaming down her face, she begged God for one more chance, for a miracle.

* * *

Oncie fell to his knees as the handle of a spear hit his stomach. He had been out for a few minutes, and came to when the guards doused him with a bucket of water. He swallowed hard, trying to force back his fear, yet unable to control his quivering. The Queen stood before her throne, just a foot away from him.

"You dared talk back to me." Her voice was as cold and calm as smooth ice. She descended the steps one at a time until she stood in front of him.

Oncie didn't dare lift his head to met her gaze. He stayed in his cowering, bowed position, waiting for the inevitable.

The Queen crouched down and put her cold bony fingers on his cheek. "Oh, Hatter… I had such high hopes for you." She used her index finger to raise his chin.

Oncie gulped as he met her eyes, which were alight with a crazed and bloodthirsty glint. He opened his lips to speak but she put a finger up and silenced him.

The Queen traced her finger down his cheek, edging toward his neck. "You're so much like your Grandfather…"

Oncie froze. "W-what?!"

The Queen of Hearts paused and met his gaze. Her eyes showed confusion - then recognition dawned, and she straightened. "Hatter. You have committed treason to the Crowned Queen of Wonderland. This is punishable by death." She stepped back. "Executioner." The Queen's voice cut through the thick silence in the room.

She walked up two of the steps leading to her throne. "Off with his head."

Oncie blinked. She had spoken so flippantly. "W-WAIT! What did you mean about my Grandfather?!"

The Queen stopped, her back to him. "You look just like him…" her voice had a strange, far-away sound, but her next words were as hard as stone. "You Hatters are all the same. This time though… THIS TIME!..." Her voice rose to a mad, high-pitched screech. "THIS TIME I WON'T LET YOU BEAT ME! I AM QUEEN OF WONDERLAND. I HAVE THE FINAL SAY!" She pointed towards him, her scream filling the air, echoing with a haunted, tortured resonance. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

The executioner was next to him now. Oncie glimpsed the shiny blade of the axe swing upwards towards the castle ceiling.

Oncie squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact of the blade, waiting for this eternal nightmare to be over- even if it was through death. For a brief instant he pictured her- pictured Rapunzel's beautiful smiling face, the hope that never seemed to leave her eyes… How he wished he could have whatever it was that she had… How he wished he could hope for more from life than this...

Oncie held his breath, waiting for the end. Each of his final seconds stretched into an eternity.

He felt a warmth rising up in his chest. It began to flood his senses and course it's way through his whole body. His lips began to tingle and then felt as though they were on fire. It raged through his whole body... He felt himself fall to the ground but nothing was there. He couldn't open his eyes, yet in the darkness he could hear the Queen's enraged screams suddenly vanish.

Was this it? Was he dead?

His body felt weightless, his arms and legs unable to move. Then it was over. The feeling slowly came back into his limbs, first feeling stiff, then feeling cold and wet. He heard the sound of early morning birds chirping.

Oncie slowly blinked his eyes open, trying to focus.

"Oncie…?"

A blurred face hovered over him.

"Oncie!"

He blinked, and there she was- Rapunzel. Leaning over him, smiling, tears in her eyes, cupping his face in her warm gentle hands.

"Oncie! You're alive! Praise God! You're alive!" She threw herself on top of him, wrapping him in a hug.

Her shoulders shook as she wept into his chest. He lay on his back, stunned. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around her, running his hand along her thick hair. He couldn't speak. He didn't have the words. He just held her tight, gazing up at the dawn, tears streaming down his face.

He was home.

 _ **Fin**_

* * *

 _Author's Note: Wow... this has been quite the Journey. I can't believe that the first book in the Escaping Wonderland series is at a close. Honestly, it hasn't quite sunk into me yet as I write this. I want to thank each and every one of you who have been following this story, "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart because, honestly, without you this story maybe wouldn't have come to completion. Your comments, reviews, messages, prayers, and love, have helped carry my on and I can't thank you enough. I never dreamed so many would come to love Oncie & Punzie and their story in Wonderland. 3 Thank you to my friends and family in RL as well who also helped me and supported me, helped me plot and who let me nerd out and talk out my story to them. **Hugs** You guys are the best, and I also couldn't have done this without you! Thank you also to all my friends who reviewed and helped edit these chapters. Rach, April, You helped make this story into what I was hoping it could be, and I just thank you from the bottom of my heart. 3 This is great because of YOU. **Hugs** Then lastly, but definitely not the least I want to thank God Almighty, who gave me these precious characters and inspired me to write their story. I praise You Lord, for YOU are the ultimate and only True Author & Creator and I thank you for helping me, inspiring me, and guiding me while writing this story. Praise the Lord! _

_I encourage all of you to truly seek after God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. He has amazing plans and callings for each and every one of you, and love, fulfillment, and life that can only be found in Jesus Christ! Thus I will end here. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ._

 _Until next time. I love you all!_

 _~Vi~_

 _(Book two, Lord willing, begins it's journey sometime next year, with more of Oncie & Punzie's life and their love story as it unfolds. 3) _


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